THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


eimJuy  A/  /f^O 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


HIRAM  COLLEGE 


.AND. 


Western  Reserve 

Eclectic  Institute 


FIFTY  YEARS  OF  HISTORY 
1850-1900 


By 

F. 

M. 

GREEN, 

WITH 

A. 

M., 

LL 

D. 

An  Introducti 

on 

by  PROF. 

E. 

B. 

WAKEFIELD 

The 

O.  S.  HuBBELL  Printing  Co 
Cleveland,  Ohio 
1901 

Copyright  1901, 

by 
F.  M.  GREEN. 


DEDICATION 

To  the  many  thousands  who  constitute 

the  goodly  Fellowship 

of 

Hiram  College 

and 

The  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute, 

this 

VOLUME 

of  interesting  facts  and  memories  is  dedicated  by  one, 

who,  familiar  with  their  history  for  fifty  years, 

has  brought  into  order  these  chronicles. 


654953 


PREFACE. 

There  are  some  things  which  can  be  stated  in  a  Preface 
or  Introduction  better  than  in  the  body  of  a  book.  Some 
personal  explanations  can  be  made  which  would  be  altogether 
out  of  place  anywhere  else.  In  the  preface  the  author  of  a 
volume  or  treatise  mounts  his  throne  and  asserts  his  dictum. 
It  should  be  known  to  all  that  the  author  whose  name  ap- 
pears on  the  title  page  of  this  volume  was  not  the  first  in  the 
Hiram  fellowship  to  gather  material,  to  outline  its  use,  and 
to  enter  upon  the  writing  of  a  Hiram  history.  Mainly  to 
the  Faculty  of  Hiram  College,  and  especially  to  Professor 
A.  C.  Pierson  who  was  selected  by  them,  is  the  credit  due 
for  the  idea  which  has  been  expanded  into  the  present  vol- 
ume. To  the  great  sorrow  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
co-laborers  in  behalf  of  Hiram  College  and  higher  educa- 
tion. Prof.  Pierson  died  suddenly  at  the  begnning  of  his 
work,  leaving  for  another  hand  to  do  what  it  was  hoped  he 
would  be  able  to  perform.  He  had  gathered  considerable 
material  and  had  outlined  his  plan  of  work,  and  had  written 
a  little  more  than  one  chapter.  Substantially  he  completed 
the  first  chapter  of  the  history,  and  with  slight  change  that 
chapter  stands  as  he  wrote  it  and  as  a  memoral  of  high  per- 
sonal regard  and  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by 
his  associates  in  the  Faculty  and  the  students  and  friends  of 
Hiram  College.  In  his  foreview  of  "University  and  its 
Sons,"  Dr.  John  Eaton,  himself  an  eminent  educator,  says : 
"How  often  do  both  the  faculty  and  students  of  a  genera- 
tion fail  to  gain  the  inspiration  justly  theirs,  by  reason  of 
the  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  sacrifices  and  triumphs  of  those 
who  have  gone  before  them.  How  many  fail  to  bestow 
their  wealth  in  aid  of  this  instruction,  and  how  many  sonr 


fail  to  take  advantage  of  it  because  the}',  or  those  advising 
them,  do  not  know  what  those  receiving  it  have  thereby 
LMincd  to  themselves,  or  what  they  have  contributed  to  the 
uplifting  of  mankind  and  the  advancement  of  civilization." 
To  furnish  this  knowledge  of  what  Hiram  College  has  ac- 
complished in  fifty  years  in  material  equipment,  and  in  "the 
uplift  of  mankind"  is  the  purpose  of  this  history.  The  power 
of  a  college  is  not  in  what  it  promises  to  do  but  in  what  it 
does,  and  this  cannot  be  estimated  until  many  years  of  deeds 
have  been  accomplished.  Compared  with  Harvard  with  its 
265  years  of  history;  Yale  with  its  201;  Princeton  with  it? 
155;  and  Columbia  with  its  147,  Hiram  is  but  a  youth;  and 
yet  the  fifty  years  of  its  history  now  past  have  proven  to  be 
in  many  respects,  within  the  most  wonderful  semi-centennial 
period  since  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  Hiram  has  a  past 
that  is  worth  the  study  of  the  friends  of  education  both 
higher  and  lower.  To  give  that  history  accurately  and  im- 
partially, and  to  make  it  pleasantly  readable  has  been  the 
steady  purpose  of  the  author.  In  its  preparation  he  has  ex- 
amined every  page  of  the  records  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
for  fifty  years ;  its  fifty  annual  catalogues ;  the  records  of 
its  Faculty  meetings  for  forty  years ;  a  large  number  of  pri- 
vate letters  and  other  communications ;  and  much  history  of 
contemporary  institutions.  Acknowledgment  is  made  for 
aid  rendered  in  material  and  valuable  suggestion  to  the  Fac- 
ulty of  the  College,  to  individual  members  of  its  Board  of 
Trustees,  to  intimate  personal  friends,  to  Dr.  William  T. 
Harris  of  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Education,  to  mem- 
bers of  the  Faculty  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  to 
Dr.  Charles  F.  Thwing,  President  of  Western  Reserve  Uni- 
versity for  his  valuable  discussion  "College  Administration," 
and  to  all  others  who  for  little  or  much  have  been  willing 
helpers. 

The  book  is  in  its  nature  a  memorial,  and  the  personal 
element  is  one  of  its  main  characteristics,  and  to  deal  with 


these  persons  and  their  work  without  exaggeration  giving 
to  each  one  his  proper  estimate  and  setting,  without  distinc- 
tion or  invidious  comparison  has  been  the  desire  and  effort 
of  the  author.  In  many  respects  the  author  has  had  a  great 
advantage  in  that  he  had  personal  and  often  intimate  knowl- 
edge of  the  Institution  for  fifty  years,  and  of  the  men  and 
women  who  from  its  first  Board  of  Trustees,  its  first  Faculty, 
and  its  first  body  of  students  have  shone  in  its  heavens.  With 
nearly  all  he  was  personally  acquainted  and  with  some  had 
an  intimate  personal  and  professional  relationship.  From 
the  student  body  of  the  College  many  have  arisen  who  in 
various  positions  as  business  men,  preachers,  lawyers,  edu- 
cators, statesmen  and  chief  executives  of  State  and  Nation 
have  ranked  among  the  best.  In  memory  of  these  and  for 
the  pleasure  and  profit  of  those  of  their  humbler  companions 
who  yet  remain  and  to  the  many  who  will  be  interested  in 
their  history  in  the  years,  perhaps  ages  to  come;  this  history 
of  prophecies  fulfilled,  of  struggles  met,  of  victories  won,  of 
ambitions  yet  unrealized,  has  been  prepared  with  ever-in- 
creasing interest  by  one  who  owes  much  to  the  Institution 
and  its  gifted  teachers  for  what  he  has  been,  is,  and  hopes 

to  be. 

F.  M.  GREEN. 

Kent,  O.,  March  ii,  1901. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  founding  of  a  successful  school  is  an  event  of  great 
significance.  Such  an  institution  becomes  a  sort  of  second 
home  to  a  great  body  of  young  people,  a  place  where  the 
family  group  enlarges  and  the  horizon  of  life  expands.  Of 
measureless  value  is  such  a  place,  if  it  fulfilled  its  mission. 
To  build  a  house  is  not  to  make  a  home.  That  comes  of  the 
close  and  tender  associations,  the  comedies  and  tragedies,  the 
toils  and  tears  of  the  long  years.  There  is  a  momentum 
strange  and  powerful  in  the  character  of  such  a  place.  A 
thousand  subtle  influences  bear  in  upon  the  life  that  follows 
after,  and  change  at  length  becomes  almost  impossible. 

The  institution  at  Hiram  was  fortunate  in  its  begin- 
ning. No  possible  selfish  speculation,  no  merely  individual 
interest  had  aught  to  do  with  its  planting.  It  was  not 
dropped  from  the  hand  of  some  wealthy  benefactor  that  it 
might  create  for  itself  a  mission  or  call  to  itself  patronage. 
It  came  in  answer  to  a  demand.  It  was  pushed  into  being 
by  a  people  who  were  rich  only  in  faith  and  aspiration  be- 
cause they  felt  there  was  imperative  need  of  it. 

It  may  be  said  that  Hiram  was  never  built  to  imitate, 
or  to  compete  with,  any  other  institution.  Methods  of  edu- 
cation approved  by  experience  it  has  ever  been  ready  to 
adopt,  but  it  has  had  from  the  first  its  own  distinctive  field 
and  purpose.  Whether  it  keeps  pace  with  the  fads  or  fash- 
ions of  other  colleges  it  little  notes  or  cares.  It  has  its  own 
ideals ;  it  strives  to  keep  them  highest  and  best ;  and  it  seeks 
to  send  out  students  who  in  the  front  ranks  of  life's  real 
service  can  endure  hardness  equal  to  any  others. 

The  institution  has  been  fortunate  in  its  history.  Well 
founded  before  the  civil  war,  she  sent  her  sons  to  stand  on 


almost  every  hard- fought  battlefield,  and  gave  the  momen- 
tum of  her  life  to  the  saving  of  her  country. 

In  all  the  changing  tides,  the  storms  and  stress  of  re- 
ligious and  social  life,  Hiram  has  at  once  been  true  to  its  own 
highest  conception  of  duty,  and  to  the  charge  committed  by 
the  men  and  women  by  whom  it  was  founded.  There  ne\'cr 
has  been  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  institution  when  it 
could  have  been  accused  justly  as  narrow  and  illiberal  on  the 
one  hand,  or  unstable  and  unsound  on  the  other.  The  in- 
stitution has  always  felt  that  all  truth  was  not  yet  found,  but 
it  has  accepted  certain  facts  beside  the  law  of  gravitation  as 
fixed. 

It  has  varied  somewhat  in  its  expression,  it  has  from  the 
first  been  courteous  and  tolerant,  but  the  college  has  always 
been  religous. 

It  has  been  reverent  What  a  story  it  would  tell  if  the 
old  chapel  could  repeat  the  prayers  that  have  been  breathed 
within  it  in  a  succession  of  fifty  years  1  Here  manhood  has 
held  profound  respect,  and  God  has  been  unceasingly  adored. 
It  has  had  the  spirit  of  service.  It  has  taught  that  it  is  igno- 
ble to  take  more  from  the  world  than  one  gives ;  that  the 
world-lifters  are  immeasurably  better  than  the  world- 
burdeners,  no  matter  how  much  tinsel  the  latter  wear.  It 
has  been  a  place  of  faith.  There  has  always  been  accepted 
a  sublimer  hope  than  that  man  is  the  child  of  a  clod  and 
doomed  to  return.  If  ever  it  ceases  to  hold  for  man  the  un- 
wavering inspiration  of  a  divine  origin,  a  divine  communion, 
and  an  immortal  life,  the  college  that  has  been  will  cease 
to  be. 

What  a  wealth  of  history  these  fifty  years  have  made 
on  Hiram  Hill !  Only  fragments  of  it  can  be  told,  but  these 
well  indicate  the  kind  of  life  that  has  been  lived.  The  in- 
stitution has  called  to  itself  earnest  and  wholesome  lives,  and 
furthermore  it  has  developed  them.  The  "Hiram  fellow- 
ship" is  not  selfish,  it  does  not  forbid  others,  and  yet  it  re- 


mains  to  a  vast  company  as  the  choicest  and  happiest  that 
ever  Hfe  affords. 

As  a  whole  the  history  of  this  college  is  singularly  clear 
and  open.  In  the  days  of  its  poverty  and  hard  limitations 
some  faithful  workers  were  too  poorly  sustained  and  re- 
quited, but  intentional  injustice  has  been  done  to  no  one. 
There  is  no  skeleton  in  the  closet  here ;  and  so  far  as  the  rep- 
utation of  the  college  is  concerned,  the  historian  might  write 
in  utter  abandon  of  all  that  has  occurred. 

Finally,  the  college  has  been  fortunate  in  its  historian. 
No  man  lives  who  at  once  knows  so  well  the  whole  history 
of  Hiram  College,  and  holds  so  largely  the  culture  and  the 
balance  of  the  good  writer,  as  the  author  of  this  volume. 
For  nearly  half  a  century,  since  1853,  he  has  been  associated 
with  the  institution  as  student,  lecturing  visitor,  or  trustee. 
He  has  breathed  its  air  and  known  its  workers  in  all  the 
years.  He  has  no  narrow  perspective.  As  a  true  son  of 
Hiram  he  has  done  good  work  out  in  the  wide  world.  He 
has  preached  ably  far  and  near;  as  a  missionary  secretary 
he  has  known  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land ;  he  has 
stood  in  halls  of  legislation ;  and  he  has  written,  and  written 
well,  more  than  can  here  be  told. 

But  best  of  all  his  works,  as  we  believe,  is  this  present 
volume ;  for  in  it  he  preserves  a  story  that  should  not  be 
lost,  and  he  tells  it  as  no  other  could. 

With  a  loyal  affection,  and  in  clear  and  good  conscience, 
he  has  written  the  historic  truth. 

While  other  histories  discourse  of  more  renowned 
events  and  cover  far  wider  fields,  none  of  them  strike  deeper 
root  into  the  soil  of  human  experience.  Here  is  the  story 
of  a  group  of  workers  who  put  their  bare  hearts  against 
the  most  serious  problems  of  life,  who  felt  the  darkness  and 
found  the  brightness,  and  furnished  in  their  own  lives  ex- 
amples of  the  noblest  aspiration  and  achievement. 

To  write  this  volume  has  been  to  the  author  a  labor  of 
love.  It  would  be  hard  to  give  to  any  writer  and  his  work 
a  higher  commendation. 

Hiram,  O.  E.  B.  WAKEFIELD. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Inception  and  Founding  of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  1849-1850: 

Preliminary — Early  Impulses — The  Yearly  meeting — The  meet- 
ing at  Russell — The  Delegate  meetings — Bloomfield — Ravenna — • 
Aurora — Hiram — The  first  meetings  of  the  Corporators — The  first 
meeting  under  the  Charter — The  Act  of  Incorporation — The  first 
building — Hiram  in  1850 pp.  yzi 

CHAPTER   II. 

The  Period  of  Establishment  and  First  Administration — 
1850- 1857. 

The  Beginning — The  Building — The  Situation — The  First  Day 
— Organizing  the  School — Course  of  Study — The  Name — Early 
Teachers — A.  S.  Hayden — Thomas  Munnell — Mrs.  Phoebe  M.  Drake 
— Sarah  Udall — Charles  D.  Wilber — Norman  Dunshee — Almeda  A. 
Booth — Other  Teachers — The  Accommodations  for  Students^ 
Boarding  and  Lodging — The  First  Public  Exercises — The  School's 
Influence — A  New  Order  of  Things — The  Church  of  Hiram — Firm 
Friends  of  the  School — Zeb  Rudolph — C.  L.  P.  Reno — James  R. 
Newcomb — Timothy  J.  Newcomb — Thud  Norton — Holland  Brown — 
John  Buckingham — The  Hiram  House — Social  Gatherings — The  Rise 
of  the  Literary  Societies — Different  Periods — The  Eclectic — The 
Philomathean — Other  Societies — The  Olive  Branch — The  Delphic — 
The  Hesperian — The  Library  Question — Value  of  Society  History — 
Financial  Affairs — The  Libraries  of  the  College — Early  Commence- 
ments— Mrs.  Garfield's  Letter — Commencement  Programme,  1857 — 
Board  of  Trustees — Carnot  Mason — Symonds  Ryder — Isaac  Errett 
— William  Hayden — Zeb  Rudolph  —  Frederick  Williams — Aaron 
Davis — John  Anson  Ford — William  W.  Richards — George  King — 
Ambrose  Latin  Soule — Jefferson  Harrison  Jones — Samuel  Church — 
Kimball  Porter — George  Pow — Presidents  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
— Financial  Agents — Treasurer — Close  of  the  First  Administration 
— Miss  Booth's  Judgment — Mr.  Hayden's  Farewell — Morning  Lec- 
tures— Benediction — Trustee pp.  24-93 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   III. 

The    Eclectic    Institute — The  Garfield   Administration — 1857- 

1863. 

Board  of  Education — Garfield  Becomes  Principal — The  Hiram 
History  of  Garfield — His  Personal  Appearance — His  Courtesy — 
Janitor — Valedictory  Oration — His  Last  District-School — The  Spring 
Term,  1852 — Music  in  the  Eclectic — Garfield  as  a  Debater — Reply  to 
the  Infidel  Treat — His  Hiram  Teachers — Garfield  a  Teacher — Gar- 
field the  Carpenter — Garfield  the  Preacher — First  Sermon  in  Hiram 
— Garfield  the  Lawyer — His  First  Legal  Plea — The  Chapel  Lecture — 
From  Hiram  to  Williamstown — Back  in  Hiram — His  Last  Visit  to 
Hiram — Summary  and  Chronology — Changes  in  the  Character  of 
the  School — Teaching  Teachers — J.  H.  Rhodes — Memorandum  by 
J.  H.  Rhodes — Financial  Matters — W.  J.  Ford — Literary  Societies — 
Proposed  Changes  in  the  Character  of  the  School — Convention  Res- 
olutions— First  Resolutions  in  Favor  of  a  College — Hiram  and  the 
Civil  War — Commencements — The  Hiram  Campus — Course  of  Study 
— Close  of  Mr.  Garfield's  Administration — Mr.  Garfield's  Summary 
of  Hiram  Life  pp.  94-133 

CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Eclectic  Institute — Its  Later  Life  and  Close — 1863- 1867. 

Formal  Resignation  of  Mr.  Garfield — B.  A.  Hinsdale  a  Teacher 
— H.  W.  Everest  and  Hiram — Matriculation  Fee — C.  W.  Heywood 
as  Principal — William  Lowe — A.  J.  Thomson  as  Principal — Piatt 
Rogers  Spencer — Mr.  Thomson  as  Teacher — Biographical  Sketch  of 
A.  J.  Thomson — Theological  Department — The  Commercial  Depart- 
ment—Osmer  C.  Hill— John  Milton  Atwater  as  Principal— The  At- 
water  Family — Looking  Towards  an  Endowment — Scholarships — 
The  College  Bell— The  Old  Hiram  and  its  Students— Air.  Atwater's 
Memories— Tiffany  Hall— The  Ideals  of  Life  which  Hiram  Gave  its 
Students — Number  and  Names  of  Trustees — Solicitors  for  the  In- 
stitute— Presidents  of  the  Board — Secretaries  of  the  Board — Treas- 
urers of  the  Board— Principals  of  the  Eclectic  Institute— Teachers 
of  the  Eclectic  Institute— The  Students  of  the  Eclectic  Institute— 
The  Hiram  Spirit — Unity  of  Action — The  Closing  Days  of  the  Ec- 
lectic Institute— The  Last  Commencement — The  Close  of  the  Eclec- 
tic Institute  pp.   134-174 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   V. 
Hiram   College — The  Initial  Years  of  the  College — 1867- 1870. 

The  Beginning  of  Hiram  College — Hiram  and  Other  Colleges — 
Hiram  College  a  Member  of  the  Association  of  Ohio  Colleges — The 
Aim  of  Hiram  College — Co-education  of  the  Sexes — The  First  Presi- 
dent—Prof. Asa  M.  Weston— Miss  Lottie  M.  Sackett— Osmer  C. 
Hill — Course  of  Study — Business  Methods — Annual  Report  of  the 
President  and  Treasurer  of  the  College — First  Finance  Committee — 
A  Biblical  Course — The  Legal  Status  of  the  College — The  Legal 
History  of  Hiram  College — Authority  of  the  Committee  of  Examina- 
tion— The  Results  of  the  Examination — The  Capital  Stock — The 
Second  Faculty  of  the  College — J.  M.  Atwater  Elected  President  of 
the  College — Amzi  Atwater — Cortentia  Munson — Contract  with  J. 
M.  Atwater  for  Second  Year — Thanks  to  W.  J.  Ford  as  Solicitor — 
Lathrop  Cooley  as  Financial  Agent — Close  of  J.  M.  Atwater's  Ad- 
ministration— An  Endowment  Fund — The  Literary  Societies — The 
Life  and  Spirit  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  in  the  College pp.  175-208 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Hiram  College — B.  A.  Hinsdale's  Administration — 1870-1882. 

B.  A.  Hinsdale  the  Third  President — Mr.  Hinsdale's  Great  Pur- 
pose— Some  of  Mr.  Hinsdale's  Characteristics — Biographical  Sketch 
of  President  Hinsdale — President  Hinsdale's  First  Faculty — Isaac 
N.  Demmon — Wilson  S.  Atkinson — Edmund  B.  Wakefield — Osmer 
C.  Hill — A.  J.  Squire — Miss  Ellen  Jackson — Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hinsdale, 
1873 — George  H.  Colton,  1874 — Colman  Bancroft,  Mrs.  Phoebe  B. 
Clapp,  1876 — Professor  Bancroft — Miss  Lillie  M.  Stow,  1877 — Ar- 
thur C.  Pierson,  1878 — Sketch  of  Professor  Pierson — C.  D.  Hubbell, 
Alpha  A.  Boynton,  Louis  C.  Force,  1879 — Miss  Mary  B.  Jewett, 
Fred  A.  Niles,  H.  M.  Stone,  1880— George  A.  Peckham,  Charles  F. 
Schovanek,  1881 — Mahlon  H.  Wilson,  Anna  M.  Wing,  1882 — Presi- 
dent H/nsdale's  Inaugural  Address — The  Financial  Condition — The 
President's  Salary — Lathrop  Cooley — Alanson  Wilcox — The  Annual 
Reports  of  President  Hinsdale,  1870-1882 — What  These  Reports  Re- 
veal— A  New  Boarding  Hall — Financial  Agent — Alvah  Udall,  Esq. 
— Biographical  Sketch — Trustees  of  this  Period — President  Hins- 
dale's Literary  Work — Close  of  His  Administration — A  Crisis  in 
College  Affairs  pp.  209-254 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Hiram  College— A  Crisis  and  How  it  was  Met— 1883- 1888. 

The  Old  Traditions  to  the  Front— Special  Biblical  Instruction- 
Election  of  B.  S.  Dean,  Vice  President— Biographical  Sketcji— Find- 
ing a  President — Help  from  the  Ministerial  Association — Committee 
of  Trustees — Mr.  King  Declines  the  Offered  Presidency — Vice  Pres- 
ident Dean's  Report — The  Need  of  Larger  Buildings — Financial 
Condition — Election  of  G.  H.  Laughlin  President,  with  Biographical 
Sketch — President  Laughlin's  Annual  Reports,  1884-1887 — Close  of 
His  Administration — Completion  of  New  Buildings — Mr.  Teachout's 
Resolution  in  1886 — The  Building  Committee — 0.  C.  Atwater — D. 
H.  Beaman — W.  H.  C.  Newington — Dedication  of  the  New  Building 
— Mr.  Teachout's  Address  and  Report — Address  of  Rev.  Jabez  Hall 
— .Address  of  William  Bowler — Other  Addresses — A  Great  Day — 
A  Financial  Agent's  Experiences — Dr.  W.  A.  Belding — W.  J.  Ford — 
Lathrop  Cooley — Alanson  Wilcox — O.  C.  Atwater — Looking  for  a 
New  President — Prof.  C.  Bancroft,  Chairman  of  the  Faculty — Elec- 
tion of  E.  V.  Zollars — Thanks  to  Prof.  Bancroft — Getting  Ready  for 
the  New  Administration pp.  255-292 

CHAPTER  VHL 
Hiram  College — Administration  of  E.  V.  Zollars — 1888-1900. 

Essential  Elements  in  a  College  President — E.  V.  Zollars,  a  good 
selection — Mr.  Zollars  accepts  the  position — A  character  sketch  of  E. 
V.  Zollars  and  Chronology — Faculty  1888-1900 — The  annual  reports 
of  President  Zollars,  1889-1900 — Character  of  annual  reports — Inter- 
esting statistics,  1867-1888 — Hiram  President's  hard  workers — Gen- 
eral Catalog  in  1888 — College  papers:  The  Hiram  Student — Hiram 
College  Star — Hiram  College  Advance — The  Spider  Web — The  Lo- 
gomathean  Society — The  Garfield  Society — The  Alethean  Society — 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.— The  Student  Volunteer  Band— The 
Ohio  Hiram  College  Association — Hiram  Association  of  Cleveland 
— Athletics — Miller  Hall — Hiram  Summer  School — The  New  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Building — Hiram  Conservatory  of  Music — Eugene  Feuchtin- 
ger,  with  sketch — Hiram  in  1850  and  1900 — What  has  been  done  for 
the  College — Committee  on  Permanent  Endowment — The  plan 
adopted — The  final  report — Oliver  Gans  Hertzog — The  Phillips 
Ministerial  Loan  Fund — Biographical  sketch  of  T.  W.   Phillips — A 


CONTENTS. 

Cottage  for  Young  Women— Sketch  of  Dr.  Henry  Gerould— The 
"Hiram  House,"  Cleveland,  O. — Brief  sketches  of  Hiram  Faculty 
for  1900,  E.  L.  Hall,  H.  M.  Page,  H.  McDiarmid,  E.  E.  Snoddy, 
C.  T.  Paul,  Marcia  Henry,  F.  H.  Kirkpatrick,  Miss  Kate  S.  Parmly, 
Clara  Louise  Whissen,  Wm.  A.  MacKenzie,  Emma  Johnson  Dean, 
AUie  Mabel  Dean,  Emma  O.  Ryder — Courses  of  Study — Commence- 
ment Week  1900 — The  Program — C.  L.  Loos,  H.  C.  White,  A.  B. 
Philputt,  J.  H.  Garrison,  J.  A.  Lord,  T.  W.  Phillips,  B.  A.  Hinsdale, 
Jessie  Brown   Pounds — Conclusion pp.  293-354 

APPENDIX. 

Hiram  College  Alumni — Principals  of  the  Primary  Department 
of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute — The  Board  of  Trustees 
— Presidents  of  the  Board — Secretaries  of  the  Board — Treasurers 
of  the  Board— Members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  1850-1900 — W.  J. 
Ford— C.  B.  Lockwood— T.  W.  Phillips— J.  L.  Parmly— A,  Teach- 
out — Lathrop  Cooley — William  Bowler — Other  Members  of  the 
Board  of  1900 — Albert  Allen — Thomas  N.  Easton — Occupations — A 
Statement  of  Account  by  W.  J.  Ford — B.  F.  Waters — First  Circular 
Advertisement  of  W.  R.  E.  Institute — Aaron  Davis  a  Solicitor — 
The  First  Subscription  Paper — Sketch  of  A.  Teachout — Faculty 
Meetings — Courses  of  Study  in  Hiram  College — College  Degrees — 
The  First  Meeting  of  the  Stockholders — Eminent  Representatives 
of  the  Eclectic  Period — F.  M.  Green,  chronology — The  Capital  A 
and  Garfield's  Ohio  Life — Reminiscences  by  J.  G.  Coleman,  O.  C. 
Atwater,  A.  Wilcox  and  W.  J.  Ford — The  Mormon  Episode  at  Hi- 
ram— Hiram  Soldiers — Tributes  to  Burke  Aaron  Hinsdale  by  C.  B. 
Lockvv'ood,  C.  E.  Henry,  H.  S.  Chamberlain,  H.  R.  Cooley,  E.  B. 
Wakefield,  George  H.  Colton,  William  H.  Maxwell,  Aaron  Gove, 
Francis  F.  Brown,  President  James  B.  Angell,  and  Dr.  William  T. 
Harris — Bibliography  of  Dr.  Hinsdale pp.  355-425 


History  of  Hiram  College* 


CHAPTER   I. 


The  Inception  and  Founding  of  the  Eclbctic. 
1849-50. 

In  the  year  1849  the  religious  body  known  as  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  or  simply  Christians,  was  very  active  on 
the  Western  Reserve.  The  distinctive  principles  of  the 
movement    which    they    followed    and 

re  iminary.  ■^hich  was  Styled  by  them   the  "Refor- 

mation" were  a  return  to  the  primitive  Christianity  of  the 
Apostolic  Age,  the  setting  aside  of  church  creeds  and 
traditionary  theology,  and  the  use  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
alone  as  authority  in  matters  of  faith  and  practice.  Realiz- 
ing the  value  of  education  to  this  movement  Alexander 
Campbell,  one  of  its  principal  leaders,  had  founded  Bethany 
college  among  the  hills  of  the  Pan  Handle  in  what  is  now 
West  Virginia  in  1840.*  This  institution,  the  only  one 
among  the  Disciples,  had  already  enjoyed  nine  years  of 


*The  Institution  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  College  Stu- 
dents October  21st,  1841. 


A  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

prosperous  life,  and  its  influence  had  no  doubt  kindled 
longings  for  similar  undertakings  in  other  places.  But 
Bethany  was  hard  to  reach  in  those  days  of  primitive 
travel,  and,  besides,  very  few  people,  among  any  of  the 
religious  bodies — or  outside  of  them  for  that  matter — could 
afford  to  send  their  children  to  distant  schools  or  colleges. 
Possibly  the  situation  of  the  institution  on  the  slavery  side 
of  the  Ohio  may  have  supplemented  the  physical  obstacles 
to  its  access  with  sentiments  likely  to  arise  in  a  community 
where  New  England  ancestry  and  tradition  were  so  pro- 
nounced. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  Disciples  in  north-eastern  Ohio 
wanted  a  school  of  their  own  and  they  wanted  it  in  an 
environment  congenial  both  to  their  tastes  and  their 
pocket-books.  Time  and  place  were  very  favorable  to 
such  a  measure.  The  Western  Reserve  had  proven  a  rich 
soil  for  the  growth  of  the  principles  of  the  Reformation. 
The  evangelistic  labors  of  Walter  Scott,  Calvin  Smith  and 
other  pioneer  preachers  had  resulted  in  numerous  churches 
whose  flourishing  membership  seemed  a  promising  constit- 
uency to  which  to  appeal  for  financial  aid.  Moreover  as 
the  reformatory  movement  was  a  popular  one,  many  men 
of  much  natural  ability  but  without  the  poise  and  polish 
of  education  had  entered  the  ranks  of  the  ministry,  and 
leading  Disciples  felt  the  force  of  occasional  thrusts  from 
denominational  opponents  against  a  body  that  permitted 
men  to  preach  who  had  not  graduated  from  some  theo- 
logical school,  or  from  any  school  at  all.  However  the 
general  interests  of  education  probably  had  more  weight 
than  the  absence  of  merely  theological  training,  seeing 
that  the  Disciples  had  brushed  away  creeds  and  insisted 
on  a  face  to  face  study  of  the  Bible. 

It  was  a  time,  too,  of  general  educational  awakening 
all  over  the  country.     There  was  a  rustling  in  the  air,  a 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    ECLECTIC.  5 

going  among  the  mulberry  trees  whose  direction  could  not 
be  mistaken,  and  which  was  calling  people  away  from 
clearing  the  woods  and  building  homes  to  the  mental  and 
moral  welfare  of  their  children.  The  Ohio  public  school 
system,  as  it  exists  now,  was  just  beginning  to  advance  to 
something  definite  and  orderly,  but  the  high  school  had 
not  yet  thrown  its  shadow  across  the  old  fashioned  acad- 
emy, several  of  which,  more  or  less  under  religious  con- 
trol, flourished  on  the  Reserve.  Hudson  and  Oberlin 
colleges  ha,d  both  been  founded  on  the  Reserve  and  most 
all  the  leading  religious  denominations  had  colleges  in 
various  parts  of  the  state.  Then,  too,  the  enginery  of 
that  great  inventive  and  literary  period  that  occupies  the 
latter  half  of  this  century  had  gotten  well  under  way  and 
men  were  beginning  to  feel  the  jar  of  its  mighty  pulsa- 
tions. 

Just  where  and  how  long  the  first  impulses  were  stir- 
ring that  gave  rise  to  the  Eclectic  Institute,  it  is  hard  to 
tell.     All  records  and  notes  of  primary  meetings  held  to 

originate  it  have  perished  or  become 
ar  y  mpu  ses.  scattered  beyond  recall.  All  that  can 
be  said  accurately  is  that  A.  S.  Hayden,  Wm.  Hayden, 
Isaac  Errett,  and  other  pioneer  preachers  and  representa- 
tive men  among  the  Disciples  had  been  exchanging  views 
upon  the  matter  for  several  years  prior  to  1849. 

In  those  days  of  imperfect  and  precarious  postal  ser- 
vice, and  absence  of  the  religious  convention  system  of 
later  times  the  yearly  meeting  of  the  Disciples  was  an   in- 

stitution    of    great    importance.     This 
Ueeiinl.^  institution  originated   on   the  Reserve 

and  was  peculiar  to  the  Reformation. 
It  was  the  legitimate  successor  of  the  annual  meetings 
of  the  Mahoning  Association  of  Baptist  Churches 
that   flourished   on   the  Reserve  in  the  decade  between 


6  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

1820-1S30.  =^This  Association  was  dissolved  in  the 
latter  year  at  Austintown,  Ohio,  but  the  yearly  meeting 
was  continued  by  the  reformers  and  was  for  many  years 
the  principal  means  of  gathering  preachers  and  people 
into  a  sort  of  convention  for  preaching  the  gospel  and  re- 
porting and  discussing  the  progress  of  the  church.  It 
was  the  religious  occasion  of  the  v/hole  year.  Coming  in 
the  warm  weather  and  in  the  season  of  good  roads  it  was 
accessible  from  all  parts  of  the  country  and  was  attended 
by  great  crowds  of  people.  It  had  none  of  the  objection- 
able features  of  the  old  fashioned  camp-meeting  and  was 
in  no  way  its  descendant.  It  generally  began  on  Friday 
afternoon  with  services  in  the  church  of  the  local  congre- 
gation where  the  meeting  was  held.  On  Sunday  the  ser- 
vices were  held  in  the  woods  or  groves,  the  weather  per- 
mitting and  consisted  of  a  morning  and  an  afternoon 
sermon,  the  communion  service  preceding  the  latter. 
The  people  who  came  for  milesf  were  lodged  with  the 
brethren,  houses  and  even  barns  generally  being  filled  to 
overflowing.  On  Monday  forenoon  the  meeting  broke 
up.  The  majority  of  the  preachers  and  representative 
church  members  from  over  broad  districts  were  generally 


♦The  Association  referred  to  was  held  in  Austintown  in  August, 
1830.  It  was  held  in  the  first  meeting-house  erected  by  the  Disciples 
on  the  V/'estern  Reserve.  The  motion  to  dissolve  the  Association  was 
made  by  John  Henry,  who  said  : — "  We  want  nothing  here  which  the 
word  of  the  Lord  will  not  sanction."  It  was  an  "  advisory  "  associa- 
tion— not  legislative.  The  motion  carried  with  great  enthusiasm,  and 
the  assembly  was  manifestly  in  favor  of  demolition.  Mr.  Alexander 
Campbell  then  proposed  that  the  brethren  meet  annually,  hereafter, 
for  preaching  the  gospel,  for  mutual  edification,  and  for  hearing  re- 
ports of  the  progress  of  the  cause  of  Christ.  This  was  unanimously 
approved.  Thus  ended  the  Association  and  thus  began  the  yearly 
meeting  system  which  still  remains  in  force  in  some  parts  of  the 
Western  Reserve. 

iMany  had  come  as  far  as  forty  or  fifty  miles  to  this  (the  meeting 
at  Austintown  in  1830)  feast  of  love. — Hist,  of  W.  Reserve,  p.  297. 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    ECLECTIC.  7 

to  be  found  at  the  yearly  meeting  so  that  in  addition  to 
its  primary  function  of  presenting  the  plea  of  the  Dis- 
ciples to  large  congregations,  it  afforded  ample  opportunity 
for  that  personal  exchange  of  views  and  opinions  denied 
by  the  primitive  condition  of  the  country  throughout  most 
of  the  year. 

In  June  1849,  there  was  a  yearly  meeting  held  with 
the  church  at  Russell,  Geauga  Co.,  which  is  an  important 
one  in  the  history  of  the  Eclectic   Institute.      Presumably 

consequent  upon  some  informal  discus- 
The  Meeting  at        ^.^^  ^^  ^^^  question   of  the  school,  Mr. 
Russell.  ^  .      ,        ,       ,. 

A.  L.  Soule,  one  of  the  leadmg  mem- 
bers of  the  Russell  church,  suggested  that  the  matter  be 
stated  publicly,  and  that  a  call  be  made  for  all  who  were 
interested  to  meet  at  his  house  on  Monday  morning,  June 
12th,  1849,  at  eight  o'clock.  A.  Bentley,  William 
Hayden,  A.  L.  Soule,  Myron  Soule,  Benjamin  Soule, 
Anson  Matthews,  Zeb  Rudolph,  A.  S.  Hayden,  W.  A. 
Lillie,  Alanson  Baldwin,  E.  Williams,  F.  Williams,  E.  B. 
Violl,  M.  J.  Streator,  W.  A.  Belding,  A.  B.  Green,* 
together  with  many  others,  met  at  Mr.  Soule's  house. 
The  meeting  was  entirely  informal  and  views  were  freely 
expressed.  Mr.  A.  L.  Soule  was  made  chairman  of  the 
meeting  and  Mr.  A.  S.  Hayden  secretary.  The  feeling 
was  entirely  in  favor  of  the  school  and  a  resolution  was 
passed  to  take  steps  toward  founding  it  immediately. 
The  secretary  was  instructed  to  prepare  an  address  to  the 


*Among  the  men  who  helped  to  lay  the  foundation  for  the 
Eclectic  Institute  none  bore  a  more  exalted  character,  intellectually 
and  morally,  than  Almon  B.  Green.  He  was  a  great  preacher  and 
teacher  of  men.  In  personal  presence  he  was  imposing  and  impress- 
ive. He  was  about  six  feet  in  height,  of  light  complexion  and  sandy 
hair,  and  dark  eyes  which  were  full  of  expression.  The  verdict  of 
his  contemporaries  was  unanimous  as  to  his  greatness  as  a  preacher 
and  goodness  as  a  man.  He  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut, 
January  12,  1808,  and  died  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  March  31,  1886. 


8  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

churches  on  the  subject  and  invite  them  to  send  delegates 
to  discuss  it  at  a  future  meetin<^.  This  meeting  at  Rus- 
sell was  undoubtedly  the  first  definite  step  toward  found- 
ing the  Institute. 

Mr.     Hayden  performed  his  duty 

e    e  ega  e         faithfully  and  the  result  was  a  delegate 
Meetings.  .         ,    ,  ,    .  ° 

meetmg  held   m   connection   with    the 

yearly    meeting  at   North    Bloomfield,    in   the   following 

August,  1849.    The  object  of  this  meet- 
Bloomfield.  •  ,  r    n  •  r  .1 

mg — to  secure  a  fuller  expression  of  the 

people's  views — was  easily  attained.  There  was  high 
enthusiasm  in  favor  of  the  school  and  a  vigorous  demand 
for  another  meeting  to  mature  plans  for  it. 

Delegates  assembled  again  at  Ravenna,  October  3d, 
1849.  Dr.  J.  P.  Robison,  of  Bedford,  was  chosen  chair- 
man of  this  meeting  and  Mr.  A.  S.  Hayden  again  chosen 

secretarv.    The  lines  of  discussion  were 

Ravenna.  ,  '  ,     .  ■>  1      ^v  ^ 

drawn  somewhat  more  snarply  than  at 

Bloomfield.  That  the  school  should  be  established  had 
been  practically  settled,  but  where  and  of  what  kind  re- 
mained to  be  decided.  Concerning  these  points  Mr.  Hay- 
den says: 

*'The  delegates  discussed  various  questions,  one  of 
which  was  the  grade  or  rank  of  the  contemplated  institu- 
tion. Two  classes  of  views  were  represented.  Some  pro- 
posed the  founding  of  a  college  asserting  our  ability  to 
create  an  institution  of  that  grade;  others  were  in  favor 
of  establishing  a  school  of  high  grade  but  not  to  clothe  it 
as  first  with  collegiate  powers.  The  latter  views  prevailed 
and  the  sense  of  the  convention  was  expressed  nearly 
unanimously  in  a  resolution  to  that  effect.  The  meeting 
appointed  five  of  its  members  a  delegation  to  visit  all 
places  that  solicited  the  location  of  the  school,  to  investi- 
gate and  compare  the  ground  of  their  respective  claims 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    ECLECTIC.  9 

and  to  report  at  the  next  delegate  meeting,  when  the 
question  of  location  was  to  be  decided."  Of  this  visiting 
delegation  Mr.  Hayden  has  preserved  the  names  of  but 
four :  Aaron  Davis,  Zeb  Rudolph,  B.  F.  Perky  and  Wm. 
Richards.  Seven  towns  petitioned  for  the  school — North 
Bloomfield,  Newton  Falls,  Hiram,  Shalersville,  Aurora, 
Russell,  and  Bedford. 

To  all  these  towns  the  delegation  went  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  fall  of  1849.  There  is  a  tradition  of  its  visit 
to  Hiram  which  says  that  B.  F.  Perky  was  greatly 
pleased  with  the  beauty  and  healthfulness  of  the  location, 
and  that  he  actually  pointed  out  as  a  site  for  the  building 
the  identical  one  afterward  fixed  upon.  Other  tradition 
has  it  that  Hiram  was  commended  to  the  delegation  by 
the  numerous  springs  of  water  that  gushed  out  around 
the  hill;  and  another  exceedingly  comical  one  relates  that 
while  the  men  were  spying  out  the  land  the  township 
doctor  drove  by  whose  lank  form,  thin  visage,  and 
starveling  horse  seemed  to  indicate  no  superfluous 
amount  of  public  patronage.  "Gracious!"  exclaimed 
one  of  the  visitors,  "a  township  that  can't  afford  sickness 
enough  to  keep  a  doctor  better  than  that  is  just  the  place 
to  put  the  school  in. "  Whatever  truth  maybe  in  such 
stories  it  is  safe  to  infer,  from  subsequent  events,  that  the 
visiting  delegation  did  nothing  prejudicial  to  the  interests 
of  any  of  the  contending  towns  but  reported  their  respect- 
ive claims  clearly  and  left  them  to  be  discussed  and  de- 
cided on  their  merits. 

The  meeting  that  received  this  report  was  held  in 
the  Disciple  church  in  Aurora,  November  7th,  1849.  It 
was,  from  some  points  of  view,  the 
most  important  of  the  four  delegate 
meetings,  as  it  was,  by  far,  the  most  spirited  and  conten- 
tious.    The  probable  decision  of  the  location  of  the  school 


10  HISTORY    OK    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

awakened  great  interest  and  the  meeting  was  well 
attended.  Thirty-one  churches  were  represented  by  as 
many  delegates.*  Besides  these  a  large  number  of  inter- 
ested visitors  came  from  various  localities.  The  v/eather 
preceding  the  meeting  was  fair,  though  the  night  of  the 
seventh  of  November  set  in  rainy  and  stormy,  very  much 
in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the  proceedings  them- 
selves. 

The  report  of  the  visiting  delegation  was  discussed 
throughout  most  of  the  day,  and  the  discussion  arose  at 
times  to  a  point  where  Christian  forbearance  was 
stretched  to  a  dangerous  tension.  It  was  determined  to 
decide  the  location  by  ballot,  and  the  balloting  went  on 
far  into  the  night.  Rival  claims  went  up  and  down  in  the 
balance  and  it  seemed  likely  that  the  meeting  would  break 
up  without  coming  to  a  decision.  Four  of  the  delegates, 
wearied  with  the  prolonged  contest,  went  home  before  the 
final  vote  was  taken.  The  delegates  from  Hiram,  Mr. 
Carnot  Mason  and  Mr,  Hartwell  Ryder,  became 
persuaded  for  some  reason  or  other  that  Hiram's  chances 
were  becoming  hopeless,  and  after  the  twelfth  ballot  had 
been  taken,  Mr.  Mason,  who  all  along  had  lamented  the 
acrimonious  spirit  of  the  proceedings,  rose  and  in  a  very 
short  but  dignified  Christian  speech  announced  that  Hiram 
would  withdraw.  This  decision  was  met  with  vigorous 
disapproval  so  that  Mr.  Mason  finally  consented  to  con- 


*It  is  difScult,  if  not  quite  impossible  now  to  enumerate  each  of 
these  churches  and  the  name  of  its  delegate,  for  the  records  of  the 
meeting  are  lost.  The  following  partial  list  rests  upon  the  memory 
of  some  of  the  delegates  and  can  hardly  pretend  to  perfect  accuracy: 
Bloomfield,  C.Brown;  Ravenna,  F.Williams;  Bazetta,  A.Davis; 
Norton,  A.  B.  Green;  Euclid,  A.  S.  Hayden ;  Russell,  A.  L.  Soule; 
Shalersville,  Eldredge;  Bedford,  J.  P  .Robison  ;  Munson,  J.  G.  Cole- 
man; Mantua,  Darwin  Atwater;  Solon,  W.  Richards;  Aurora,  A.V. 
Jewett;  Garrettsville,  Zeb  Rudolph;  Hiram,  Carnot  Mason;  Wads- 
worth,  Almon  Brown. 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OP    THK    ECLECTIC.  II 

tinue  Hiram  in  the  contest.  The  struggle  had  now  nar- 
rowed down  to  Russell  and  Hiram,  and  on  the  very  next 
ballot,  the  thirteenth,  the  decision  was  made  in  favor  of 
Hiram  by  a  vote  of  seventeen  to  ten.  Speaking  of  this 
incident,  more  than  thirty  years  afterward  at  the  Hiram 
College  reunion  of  1880,  Mr.  Hayden  said: 

"When  the  delegate  convention  of  thirty-one  mem- 
bers from  thirty-one  churches  met  in  Aurora,  November 
7th,  1849,  to  decide  the  question  of  the  location  of  the 
Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  and  when  the  advo- 
cates of  the  contesting  locations,  in  a  very  Chicago  style, 
were  pushing  their  claims,  a  speech  delivered  by  Carnot 
Mason  was  in  my  judgment,  then  and  now,  the  means  of 
influencing  the  vote  that  gave  the  institution  to  Hiram."* 

However  true  Mr.  Hayden's  judgment  may  be,  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  Hiram  did  not  enter  the  con- 
test without  substantial  claims.  These  were,  aside  from 
healthfulness  of  location,  which  might  have  been  claimed 
equally  truly  by  other  places — seclusion  from  large  towns 
and  cities — a  condition  then  deemed  very  desirable  for 
the  life  of  studentsf — "a  vigorous  church  that  would 
furnish  the  desired  religious  environment,   and  last  but 

*The  three  men  to  whose  exertions  the  selection  of  Hiram  was 
principally  due  were  Alvah  Udall,  Esq.,  Carnot  Mason  and  Pelatiah 
AUyn,  Jr.  That  is,  they  roused  up  the  people  of  Hiram  and  put  the 
town  into  such  shape  that  it  became  a  formidable  contestant.  Mr. 
Udall  seems  first  to  have  agitated  the  question. — Hinsdale.  Historical 
Discourse  on  Hiram  Church.    Note  p.  4.0. 

f'Let  us  expose  our  children  to  the  virus  of  pestilence;  let  them 
fall  by  the  touch  of  the  Asiatic  scourge  rather  than  expose  them  to 
the  moral  effluvia  that  poison  the  great  pathways  of  public  travel." — 
Atinotmcement  of  First  Session  of  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute, 
p.  12. 

"Put  your  seminary  on  your  own  domain.  Be  owners  of  ths  soil 
on  which  you  dwell,  and  let  the  tenure  of  every  lease  and  deed  depend 
on  the  express  condition  that  nothing  detrimental  to  the  morals  and 
studies  of  youth  be  allowed  on  the  premises." — Bishop  Philander 
Chase,  in  Hist,  of  Higher  Education  in  O.  p.  93. 


12  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

not  least  a  contingent  subscription  of  four  thousand  dol- 
lars— no  mean  inducement  to  the  trustees  of  a  school  that 
was  not  expected  at  its  founding  to  cost  more  than  twice 
or  thrice  that  sum."* 

The  meeting  at  Aurora  adjourned  to  convene  in 
Hiram  on  the  20th  of  December,  1849.  This  was  the  last 
of  the  delegate  meetings  and  was  especially  marked  by- 
two  procedures;  the  selection  of  the  in- 
^"°*'  corporators    of    the    Eclectic   and   the 

drafting  of  its  charter.  The  twelve  men  who  incorporated 
the  institute  were  by  the  provisions  of  the  charter  to  con- 
stitute a  provisional  board  of  trustees  until  seven  thou- 
and  dollars  of  the  capital  stock  of  the  corporation  should 
be  subscribed  when  they  were  to  call  a  meeting  of  the 
stockholders  who  were  to  elect  a  permanent  board.  The 
names  of  these  men  are  all  found  in  the  charter.  The 
committee  that  drafted  this  important  instrument  con- 
sisted of  Isaac  Errett,  Charles  Brown  and  A.  S.  Hayden. 
They  were  assisted  by  Judge  King,  of  Warren.  The 
charter  they  prepared  met  the  approval  of  the  board  with 
a  few  slight  alterations.  The  clause  referring  to  the  facts 
and  precepts  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  a  basis  for  the 
teaching  of  literature  and  science,  especially  moral  science, 
was  inserted  on  the  motion  of  William  Hayden.  The 
name  of  the  school, "Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute," 
was  suggested  by  Isaac  Errett.  f  The  charter  received 
the  sanction  of  the  Ohio  Legislature,  March  1st,  1850. 

As  no  trouble  was  expected  in  getting  the  charter  the 
corporators  anticipated  its  arrival  and  met  in  Hiram  the 
day    after    their   selection   to  organize — December   21st, 


*  Hinsdale, — Garfield  and  Education,  p.  16. 
tThen  pastor  of  the  church  at  North  Bloomfield. 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF   THE    ECLECTIC.  I3 

1849.  Carnot  Mason  was  elected  presi- 
The  First  Meetings     ^  ^eb        Rudolph.       secretary; 

cf  the  Corporators,       ^  ,    ^      ,  ,  ttt-i,- 

Symonds  Ryder, treasurer;  and  William 

Hayden  was  appointed  a  solicitor  for  funds.  A  building 
committee  was  also  appointed.  This  committee  was 
Pelatiah  AUyn,  Jr.,  Zeb  Rudolph,  Carnot  Mason, 
Jason  Ryder  and  Alvah  Udal!.  The  first  two  of 
these  men  were  practical  carpenters  and  afterward  ren- 
dered substantial  aid  on  the  Institute  building.  The 
natural  business  ability  of  Esq.  Alvah  Udall  as  he  was 
called  placed  him  at  the  head  of  this  committee  and  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  edifice  was  planned  and  completed 
was  largely  due  to  his  untiring  energy.  This  meeting 
also  adopted  a  seal  for  the  institution  the  design  of  which 
was — a  vignette,  a  dove  with  an  olive  branch  in  its  beak, 
its  wings  half  raised,  resting  on  the  open  Bible,  with  the 
motto,  "Let  there  be  light." 

On  the  13th  of  February  the  corporators  met 
again,  adopted  a  plan  for  the  building,  and  empowered 
the  building  committee  to  make  a  contract  with  Thomas 
F.  Young  for  the  north  part  of  his  farm  containing  about 
fifty-four  acres*  for  the  use  of  the  Institution.  Although 
not  a  member  of  the  building  committee  one  of  the  most 
active  men  in  negotiating  this  business  was  Mr.  Aaron 
Davis,  one  of  the  incorporators  and  one  of  the  five  who 
had  composed  the  delegation  sent  by  the  Ravenna  meet- 
ing to  view  the  proposed  locations  of  the  school.  Mr. 
Young  was  not  desirous  to  sell  his  land  and  had  about  dis- 
couraged even  Esq.  Udall  himself.  But  Mr.  Davis,  like 
the  importunate  widow,  persevered  until  finally  success- 
ful This  piece  of  land  was  afterward  surveyed  by  the 
county  surveyor  and  laid  out  into  lots  and  the  plat  of  the 


*The  records  at  Ravenna  show  fifty-six  and  a  fraction. 


14  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

survey  recorded.  These  lots  were  mostly  all  sold,  a  plat 
of  something  over  seven  acres  being  reserved  in  which 
the  building  was  erected.  This  plat  is  now  the  college 
campus,  and  is  second  in  beauty  and  attractiveness  to 
none  in  the  state. 

The  extreme  northern  part  of  the  farm  bought  by  the 
building  committee  contained  a  valuable  stone  quarry. 
Here  the  stone  was  procured  for  the  foundation  of  the 
first  building  and  the  erection  of  later  buildings  owes 
much  to  the  same  source. 

On  the  7th  day  of  May,  1850,  the 
First  Meeting         Board  met  under  the  following  charter. 
„,  It  legalized  its  proceedings  of  the  pre- 

vious two  meetings  by  adopting  them. 

AN  ACT  TO  INCORPORATE 

The  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute. 

Sec.  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
State  of  Ohio,  That  George  Pow,  Samuel  Church,  Aaron 
Davis,  Isaac  Errett,  Carnot  Mason,  Zeb  Rudolph, 
Symonds  Ryder,  J.  A.  Ford,  Kimball 
Porter,  William  Hayden,  Frederick 
Williams,  A.  S.  Hayden,  and  such  other  persons  as  may 
hereafter  become  associated  with  them,  be  and  they  are 
hereby  created  a  body  corporate  and  politic,  by  the  name 
and  style  of  the  "Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute"  to 
be  located  in  the  township  of  Hiram,  in  the  county  of 
Portage,  and  by  that  name  they  shall  have  perpetual 
succession,  and  possess  all  the  incidental  powers  and 
privileges  of  similar  corporations;  provided  the  capital 
stock  of  said  corporation  shall  not  exceed  fifty  thousand 
dollars  to  be  divided  into  shares  of  twenty-five  dollars 
each  and  used  for  no  other  purpose  than  the  instruction 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    ECLECTIC,  15 

of  youth  of  both  sexes  in  the  various  branches  of  h'tera- 
ture  and  science,  especially  of  moral  science,  as  based  on 
the  facts  and  precepts  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

Sec.  2.  That  said  corporation  shall  be  capable  in 
law  of  receiving,  acquiring,  and  holding  either  by  gift, 
grant,  purchase,  devise  or  otherwise,  any  real  or  personal 
estate,  and  of  improving,  selling,  or  otherwise  disposing 
of  the  same  for  the  benefit  of  said  Institution. 

Sec.  o.  That  the  corporate  concerns  of  said  Institute 
be  managed  by  a  board  of  trustees  consisting  of  not 
less  than  nine  or  more  than  twelve  members,  to  be  chosen 
as  hereinafter  specified,  one  of  whom  shall  be  elected 
President,  any  five  of  whom  shall  form  a  quorum  for  doing 
business;  they  shall  have  power  to  fill  all  vacancies  which 
may  occur  in  their  own  board  by  death,  resignation  or 
refusal  to  serve,  which  appointments  shall  be  valid  until 
the  next  annual  election;  said  board  of  trustees  shall  have 
power  to  appoint  a  treasurer,  secretary,  and  such  other 
officers  and  agents  as  they  may  deem  necessary  and  pre- 
scribe their  duties;  employ  such  professors  and  teachers, 
allow  them  such  compensation,  and  continue  them  such 
length  of  time  as  they  may  judge  proper,  regulate  the 
government  and  the  admission  of  the  students  of  said  In- 
stitute; expel  any  disorderly  student,  require  satisfactory 
bonds  of  any  of  their  officers  or  agents  for  the  faithful 
discharge  of  their  respective  trusts,  prescribe  the  mode  of 
obtaining  subscriptions  to  the  capital  stock  and  the  terms 
and  conditions  of  payment  thereof,  and  all  other  measures 
necessary  for  the  establishment  and  efficient  management 
of  said  Institute. 

Sec.  4.  All  deeds  and  other  instruments  of  writing 
that  may  be  required  to  carry  into  effect  any  contract 
made  by  the  board  of  trustees  shall  be  executed  by  the 
President  and  sealed  with  the  corporate  seal  which  may  be 
adopted  by  said  corporation. 


l6  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Sec.  5.  That  the  corporators  named  in  the  first  sec- 
tion of  this  act,  or  so  many  of  them  as  may  choose  to  act 
shall  have  power  to  open  books  for  the  subscription  of  the 
capital  stock  of  said  corporation,  and  exercise  all  the 
power  conferred  upon  the  board  of  trustees,  until  they 
shall  have  obtained  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  seven 
thousand  dollars,  when  it  shall  be  their  duty  to  call  a 
meeting  of  the  stockholders  at  some  convenient  place  in 
the  town  of  Hiram,  notice  of  which  meeting  shall  be 
given  to  said  stockholders  at  least  ten  days  previous  to 
said  meeting.  At  such  called  meeting,  the  stockholders 
shall  proceed  to  elect  not  less  than  nine  nor  more  than 
twelve  suitable  persons  to  constitute  the  first  board  of  trust- 
ees, one-third  of  whom  shall  be  designated  by  the  ballots 
electing,  as  holding  said  trust  for  one  year,  one-third  for 
two  years,  and  one-third  for  three  years  from  the  date  of 
their  next  annual  election;  each  stockholder  being  en- 
titled at  all  elections,  one  vote  in  person  or  by  proxy,  for 
every  share  of  stock  owned  by  him;  provided  that  no 
stockholder  shall  have  more  than  four  votes  for  one  hun- 
dred dollars,  six  votes  for  two  hundred  dollars,  seven 
votes  for  three  hundred  dollars,  and  eight  votes  for  four 
hundred  dollars  or  more;  provided  also  that  no  stock- 
holder shall  be  entitled  to  vote  at  any  annual  election,  on 
stock  which  has  not  been  paid  up  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  board  of  trustees. 

Sec.  6.  That  the  annual  meeting  of  the  stockholders 
for  the  election  of  a  board  of  trustees  or  such  portion 
thereof  as  may  be  vacant  shall  be  held  in  the  township  of 
Hiram  on  the  last  Tuesday  of  June  in  each  and  every 
year,  or  such  other  day  as  the  board  of  trustees  may  ap- 
point of  which  they  shall  give  due  notice  to  the  stock- 
holders; but  a  failure  to  elect  on  said  day,  shall  not  work 
a  dissolution  of  the  corporation,  but  the  trustees  then  in 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF   THE    ECLECTIC.  1^ 

office  may  call  a  meeting  for  that  purpose  at  any  future 
day,  and  hold  their  offices  until  others  are  appointed  in 
their  places,  and  in  case  the  stockholders  still  shall  fail  to 
meet,  then  the  remaining  trustees  shall  elect  the  number 
of  new  trustees  necessary  to  fill  up  the  board  and  con- 
tinue to  do  so  from  year  to  year  until  the  stockholders 
shall  again  meet  and  resume  the  exercise  of  their  power. 
Sec.  7.  The  board  of  trustees  shall  have  power  to 
make  such  by-laws  for  the  efficient  management  of  the 
Institution  as  they  may  deem  necessary  and  prescribe  the 
mode  of  transferring  the  shares  of  said  capital  stock. 
Dated  March  1st,  1850. 

BENJAMIN  F.   LEITER, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives- 

CHARLES  C.  CONVERS, 

Speaker  of  the  Senate. 

As  subscriptions  were  slow  in  being  made  the  Board, 
at  this  meeting  proceeded  to  strengthen  the  force  of  solic- 
itors. It  ordered  a  circular  to  be  prepared  giving 
general  information  regarding  the  plan  of  the  school,  and 
appointed  Isaac  Errett  and  A.  S.  Hayden  a  committee  to 
negotiate  for  a  Principal.  Mr.  Zeb  Rudolph  resigned  the 
office  of  secretary  and  Dr.  Lyman  W.  Trask  was  elected 
to  succeed  him.  The  Doctor  was  one  of  the  most  faithful 
and  efficient  secretaries  that  ever  served  the  Board  of 
Trustees  and  when  he  died  in  1863, after  holding  the  office 
twelve  years,  a  resolution  passed  by  that  body  bore  testi- 
mony to  the  efficient  manner  in  which  he  had  discharged 
his  duties. 

In  the  mean  time  the  building  committee  had  been 
hard  at  work.  December,  1849,  had  not  ended  when  Esq. 
Udall  made  a  long  journey  to  Rootstown  to  conduct  ne- 


l8  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLIEGE. 

gotiations  for  the  brick  and  stone-work 
The  First  ^^  ^^^  building  with   Mr.  W.  A.   Hoi- 

Building.  .  °  .     , 

comb,  a  stone-mason  of  that  township. 
Mr  Holcomb  came  up  to  Hiram  in  January,  1850,  driv- 
ing in  a  sleigh  over  the  round-about  route  by  way  of 
Ravenna  and  Garrettsville.  He  stayed  over  night  and 
met  the  building  committee  at  the  home  of  Esq.  Udall. 
On  the  next  day,  after  looking  over  the  ground,  he  re- 
turned home  to  figure  on  the  building.  The  result  was 
that  he  came  back  to  Hiram  about  April  1st,  1850,  bring- 
ing with  him  twenty-one  workmen,  a  man  and  wife  to  do 
the  cooking,  and  two  cows.  He  put  up  a  shanty  near  a 
spring  on  the  east  side  of  the  north  and  south  center  road 
near  the  present  home  of  Mr,  Lester  Bennett.  Here  he 
made  his  headquarters  and  boarded  his  hands. ^i^ 

The  plan  of  the  building  adopted  by  the  Board  at  the 
meeting  of  February  12th,  185C,  had  been  presented  by  a 
Mr.  Sweet  of  Farmington,  but  Mr.  Hayden  says  the  draw- 
ings followed  by  Mr.  Holcomb  were  from  the  pencil  of  an 
architect,  J.  N.  Skinner.  Whatever  this  may  mean,  it  is 
certain  that  the  old  Eclectic  building  was  in  its  form  and 
arrangements  similar  to  that  of  the  Western  Reserve 
Seminary  still  standing  (1900)  in  the  village  of  West 
Farmington,  but  a  much  finer  building.  Mr.  Holcom.b  was 
to  oversee  all  the  brick  and  stone-work,  receiving  for  his 
services  $2.25  per  day.  The  workmen  were  paid  $1.25  per 
day.  Most  of  the  wood-work  was  done  by  Pelatiah  AUyn 
and  Zeb  Rudolph.  The  brick  were  burned  expressly  for  the 
purpose  down  on  the  banks  of  the  creek  on  the  farm  of  Esq. 
Udall.  The  workmen  engaged  in  this  part  of  the  service 
were  under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  Squire  himself.     It 

*The  spring  referred  to  is  hardly  known  to  present  day  Hiram 
students,  as  it  lies  west  of  the  walk  and  is  covered  with  a  large  stone. 
Mr.  Bennett  however  pipes  water  from  it  to  his  house. 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    KCLKCTIC.  I9 

is  almost  needless  to  say  that  no  better  brick  ever  went  into 
a  building.  It.  no  doubt,  sounds  odd  to  this  generation  to 
read  in  the  old  records,  "resolved  the  building  be  made  of 
brick;"  but  such  a  thing  was  not  then  a  matter  of  course. 
Several  of  the  prominent  academies  on  the  Reserve  could 
boast  of  nothing  but  frame,  and  outside  of  the  towns  brick 
houses  were  not  common.  The  question  of  a  frame  build- 
ing had  been  suggested  in  the  Board,  but  Mr.  Carnot  Mason, 
the  president,  urged  a  building  that  would  give  tone  and 
dignity  to  the  whole  enterprise. 

The  summer  of  1850  was  exceptionally  fine.  Only 
one  slight  interruption  occurred  to  interfere  with  Mr. 
Holcomb's  progress.  Simultaneously  with  the  work  he 
was  doing  at  Hiram,  a  large  brick  building  for  a  factory 
was  going  up  at  Kent.  The  promoters  of  this  enterprise 
by  offering  twenty-five  cents  more  per  day  for  brick-layers 
created  dissatisfation  among  Mr.  Holcomb's  workmen,  and 
for  a  short  time  a  real  strike  seemed  imminent.  The  wis- 
dom and  sagacity  of  Esq.  Udall  came  to  the  rescue  and  a 
compromise  was  affected  that  proved  entirely  satisfactory. 
Autumn  brought  with  it  a  large  crop  of  apples,  and  the 
orchard  on  the  Institute  land  was  loaded  with  the  fruit. 
The  building  stood  just  on  the  south  edge  of  this  orchard 
and,  as  October  drew  to  a  close,  the  high  dome  that 
crowned  it  began  to  tower  into  the  view  of  the  surround- 
ing country — the  cynosure  of  all  eyes.  Judge  H.  C.White 
thus  records  his  first  impressions  of  it. 

"I  first  entered  Hiram  in  December,  1850.  My  ap- 
proach was  from  the  west,  and  my  first  glimpse  of  the  new 
building  was  just  at  the  close  of  a  clear,  crisp  winter  day. 
I  had  ridden  all  the  way  from  Cleveland  in  a  sleigh,  and 
as  we  rose  over  the  shoulder  of  the  hill  out  of  the  Cuya- 
hoga valley,  on  the  road  from  Mantua,  the  last  rays  of 
the  sun  were  flashed  back  from  the  new  cupola  on  the 


20  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

'old  Eclectic. '*  The  scattering  village  was  strung  along 
the  highway  we  traveled  and  as  the  lofty  Institute  north 
of  the  village  burst  upon  us,  village  and  all  seemed  trans- 
figured in  the  glow  of  the  setting  sun.  If  ever  you  saw 
an  old  'Webster's  Spelling  Book'  of  that  date,  you  will  re- 
member that  the  frontispiece  was  the  picture  of  an  im- 
possible Temple  of  Fame  set  upon  a  steep  and  rugged 
mountain  side  with  a  youth  struggling  up  toward  the  high 
portal.  That  'Speller'  had  been  my  last  text-book  and 
there  before  me  was  the  counterpart  and  realization  of 
that  picture." 

Many  a  country  boy  who  saw  the  building  then  for 
the  first  time,  and  who  came  to  visit  it  again  long  after 
he  had  seen 

'•The  vision  of  the  world,  and  the  wonder  that  would  be" 
was  surprised  and  grieved  to  see  how  its  magnificent  pro- 
portions had  dwindled  in  the  intervening  years.  It  was 
a  great  building  for  that  day.  Mr.  Hayden  described  it 
in  extravagant  terms,  deeming  it  no  violation  of  taste  to 
draw  his  imagery  from  the  effort  of  the  great  Solomon 
himself. 

"The  edifice  is  three  stories  high ;f  the  first  story  ot 
freestone  of  a  beautiful  reddish  color.  The  next  two  are 
high  stories  of  brick.  The  material  of  its  perfect  walls  is 
unsurpassed  in  beauty  and  durability.  The  height  of  the 
walls  from  the  ground  to  the  eaves  is  forty-one  feet ;  to 
the  ridge,  fifty  feet.  The  cupola  is  nineteen  feet  high, 
surmounted  by  a  dome  twelve  feet  in  diameter  and  seven 
and  one-half  feet  elevation.  The  building  is  put  up  on  a 
beautiful  and  tasteful  model  more  neat  and  elegant  than 


♦The  dome  remained  for  a  long  time  unpainted  and  its  bright 
tin  always  flashed  back  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  General  Garfield 
said  he  felt  exceedingly  sorry  when  the  first  coat  of  paint  was  put  on. 

+  Mr.  Hayden  calls  the  basement  a  story. 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    ECLECTIC.  21 

showy.  It  presents  a  front  from  the  extremity  of 
the  wings  of  eighty-four  feet,  with  a  rear  extension  of 
sixty-four  feet;  the  wings  are  twenty-two  by  twenty-four 
feet;  of  the  same  height  as  the  main  walls,  and  set 
back  three  feet  from  the  front  end  of  it,  relieving  the 
prospect  from  a  continuous  unbroken  front.  Like  the 
temple  on  Mt.  Moriah,  one  large  eastern  entrance  leads 
into  its  spacious  rooms." 

Mr.  Hayden  was  right  in  much  of  his  eulogy.*  Good 
material  and  good  work  were  both  put  into  the  building. 
The  walls  with  the  exception  of  a  few  slight  cracks,  made 
by  the  weight  of  another  wall  on  top  of  them — part  of 
the  addition  of  1886 — now  remain,  after  fifty  years,  as 
smooth  as  when  they  received  the  last  stroke  of  Mr.  Hol- 
comb's  trowel. 

The  Hiram  that  saw  this  imposing  structure  rise  in 
its  midst  was  a  mere  country  cross  roads.  At  or  oear  the 
immediate  center  stood  about  a  dozen  houses.  The 
dwelling  of  Thomas  F.  Young  con- 
taining the  post  office  stood  on  the 
northwest  corner.  On  the  southwest  corner  i-tood  the 
frame  Disciple  church  burned  in  1856.  On  the  corner  east 
of  the  church — the  south-east  corner — was  the  old  stone 
school  house  known  later  in  Hiram  parlance  as  "the 
Jug."  On  the  northeast  corner  were  a  small  house  and 
barn  belonging  to  a  Mr.  Fitch.  There  were  two  blacksmith 
shops  just  west  of  the  cross-roads.  A  Methodist  church 
occupied  the  site  of  the  present  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building. 
North  and  west  of  the  Methodist  church  was  the  plat  of 
land  purchased  for  the  Institute.  In  the  north  and  east 
part  of  this  plat  was  the  orchard  already  referred  to — a 
favorite  place  in  after  years  for  holding  Commencements. 


♦Announcement  of  the  first  session  of  the  Eclectic,  p.  13. 


22  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Two  or  three  trees  belonging  to  this  old  orchard  are  still 
standing  (1900)  just  west  of  Bowler  Hall.  A  little  north 
and  extending  west  from  the  orchard  was  the  stone 
quarry.  A  rail  fence  ran  just  south  of  the  orchard  sepa- 
rating it  from  a  piece  of  cultivated  land.  The  very  first 
work  ever  done  toward  the  Institute  building  was  to  re- 
move this  fence  in  order  that  Ozias  Allyn  to  whom  Mr. 
Holcomb  had  given  the  contract  might  begin  digging  the 
foundation.  There  were  no  stores  at  the  "Center."  as  it 
was  called.  To  buy  even  a  pound  of  nails  required  a  trip 
to  Garrettsville,  if  not  to  the  remoter  towns  of  Shalersville 
or  Ravenna.*  A  weekly  mail  straggled  through  the 
village  coming,  sometimes  by  way  of  the  east  and  west 
center  road  from  Warren  or  Cleveland,  at  other  times  on 
the  north  and  south  roads  from  Parkman  and  points  be- 
yond. Mr.  T.  F.  Young,  who  had  been  appointed  post- 
master by  Postmaster  General  Meigs  in  1816,  and  contin- 
ued in  the  office  till  his  death  in  1852  distributed  this  mail 
not  only  to  residents  of  the  township  but  to  many  who 
came  from  points  far  beyond  the  "Rapids,"  north,  and 
over  the  line  of  Freedom,  south.  There  was  no  hotel — 
this  hospitable  service  being  rendered  by  the  household  of 
Mr.  Young  whenever  it  became  necessary. 

The  coming  of  the  school,  aside  from  the  social 
changes  to  be  spoken  of  later,  worked  some  curious  phy- 
sical changes  that  appear  in  the  various  transformations 
through  which  some  of  the  original  houses  of  the  village 
of  1850  have  passed.  The  stone  school  house  was  aban- 
doned in  1858  and  became  the  wagon  shop  of  Levi  Bishop. 
A  few  years  ago,  its  present  owner  converted  it  into  an 
ice-house.     The  Fitch  house  was  modeled  and  remodeled 


♦Shalersville  at  this  time  was  one  of  the  most  flourishing  towns  in 
the  county  and  contained  a  store  claimed  to  rival  any  in  Ravenna. 


INCEPTION    AND    FOUNDING    OF    THE    ECLECTIC.  23 

and  finally  became  a  good  sized  boarding-house  long 
known  in  the  history  of  Hiram  as  "Ingleside. "  It  is  now- 
known  as  the  "Murray"  house.  Fitch's  barn  was  moved 
a  few  rods  to  the  north  and  made  over  into  a  dwelling 
house.  Students  whose  name  is  legion  roomed  in  it  from 
time  to  time  and  it  was  dignified  by  the  name  of  "Sunny- 
side."  One  of  the  college  professors  made  it  his  home  for 
several  years  and  it  finally  became  the  office  of  the  village 
doctor  which  purpose  it  still  serves.  One  of  the  two 
blacksmith  shops  was  long  known  to  later  generations  of 
students  as  the  home  of  old  Granny  Diehl.  It  stood  as 
late  as  hallowe'en  night  in  1895  when  it  was  burned 
down.  The  old  Methodist  church,  on  the  disbanding  of 
the  congregation,  became  the  property  of  the  township 
and  after  being  used  for  a  long  time  for  a  town  hall  was 
removed  to  its  present  site  in  the  western  part  of  the  village 
and  made  into  a  livery  stable  where, 

"  Stamp  of  foot  and  neigh  of  hackney  horse 

Have  taken  the  place  of  sermons,  hymns  and  prayers." 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Period  of  Establishment  and  First  Admin- 
istration.    1850- 1857. 

The  first  session  and  first  term  of  the  Western  Re- 
serve Eclectic  Institute  began  Wednesday,  November 
27th,  1850.     It  was  a  day  which  had  been 
eginnmg.       ardently   wished   for  by  those   who  had 
been  prominent  in  the  inception  and  founding  of  the  Insti- 
tution, and  by  those  who  were  to  be  its  first  patrons. 

The  building,  in  the  erection  of  which  Jason  Ryder, 
Carnot  Mason,  Alvah  Udall,  Zeb  Rudolph,  and  Pelatiah 

Allyn,  Jr.,  had  given  of  their  time,  their 
The   Building.  j   ^1     •      •    ^  n-  u    -u 

money,  and  their  mtelhgence  as  a  build- 
ing commitee,  was  not  yet  completed ;  but  "a  full  suite  of 
rooms  was  ready  for  the  reception  of  students." 

The  building  as  it  finally  stood  complete,  is  enthusiasti- 
cally described  as  follows :  "The  edifice  is  three  stories 
high ;  the  first  story  of  free  stone,  of  a  beautiful  reddish 
color.  The  next  two  are  high  stories  of  brick.  The  ma- 
terial of  its  perfect  walls  is  unsurpassed  in  beauty  and  dura- 
bility. The  height  of  the  walls  from  the  ground  to  the 
eaves  is  41  feet ;  to  the  ridge,  50  feet.  The  cupola  is  19  feet 
high,  surmounted  by  a  dome  12  feet  in  diameter,  and  of 
seven  and  one-half  feet  elevation.  The  building  is  put  up 
on  a  beautiful  and  tasteful  model,  more  neat  and  elegant 
than  showy.  It  presents  a  front  from  the  extremity  of  the 
wings  of  84  feet,  with  a  rear  extension  of  64  feet.     The 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  25 

wings  are  22  by  24  feet,  of  the  same  height  as  the  main  walls 

of  the  edifice,  and  set  back  three  feet  from  the  front  end  of  it, 

relieving  the  prospect  from  a  continuous  and  unbroken  front. 

Like  the  temple  on  Mount  Moriah,  one  large  eastern  entrance 

leads  into  its  spacious  rooms.    Passing  the  first  door,  you  are 

in  the  large  reception  hall,  designed  for  the  loose  garments, 

etc.,  of  the  pupils.     The  south  wing  at  your  left  hand  is  the 

Primary  Department.     At  the  other  end  of  the  hall  in  the 

north  wing  is  a  capacious  recitation  room.     Directly  across 

the  hall,  opposite  the  front  door,  is  another,  opening  into 

the  principal  school  room,  seated  with  five  rows  of  double 

desks.     Here  the  whole  school  assemble  at  8  o'clock  A.  M. 

and  after  one  hour  spent  in  examination  of  sacred  history, 

and  in  music,  they  repair  to  the  studies  of  the  day."* 

The  site  of  the  building  and  the  scenery  surrounding 

may  be  recalled  by  a  few  descriptive  sentences :     "The  site 

commands  a  very  extensive  horizon,  sur- 
The 
„.,    ,.  rounding  a  varied    and    richly    adorned 

bituation.  ^  •' 

scenery,  embracing  a  vast  extent  of  well- 
improved  farm  lands,  lying  in  valleys  and  on  upland  slopes. 
Several  villages  can  be  seen,  and  innumerable  forest  cov- 
ered hills,  rising  one  above  another  and  fading  away  in  the 
dim  distance."*  Hiram  scenery  certainly  deserved  some 
words  of  praise.  "Seeing  is  believing ;  and  with  all  the 
changes  that  time  has  wrought,  the  landscape  is  still  the 
same.  The  woodlands  have  become  fewer  and  smaller  in 
area,  while  the  fields  have  expanded ;  but  then,  as  now,  ver- 
dure clothed  the  hills  and  the  valleys  in  the  spring-time, 
while  the  chestnuts  yellowed,  the  oaks  and  ashes  browned, 
the  sassafras  and  the  pepperidge  reddened,  and  the  maples 
burst  into  scarlet  and  gold,  as  they  have  done  in  the  autumn 


♦First  Announcement  and  Catalogue. 


26  HISTORY    OF    HIUAM    COLLEGE. 

for  fifty  succeeding  years.     The  whippoorwill  sang  in  the 
woodside  at  evening  then  as  he  sings  now.""'' 

The  opening  day  of  the  new  school  was  in  the  nature 
of  a  thanksgiving  service.     Before  the  first  classes  were  or- 
ganized a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  friends 

^.       ,^  of   the   institution   from   abroad,   and   of 

First  Day.  .  ' 

the  citizens  of  Hiram,  was  held  in  the 
old  meeting-house,  vvhere  the  principles  and  objects  of  the 
school  were  ably  and  enthusiastically  presented  by  William 
Hayden,  Almon  B.  Green,  J.  Harrison  Jones,  and  others. 
The  speakers  proclaimed  it  the  completion  of  long  cherished 
purposes,  and  the  realization  of  many  anxieties  and  hopes 
concerning  "this  child  of  much  consultation,  prayer  and 
hope."  In  prophetic  words  it  was  declared,  that  '"'this  hill 
would  yet  become  a  Minerva,  a  center  and  source  of  light, 
of  literature,  and  of  refinement.  From  this  place  would  go 
forth  men  of  ample  moral  and  mental  growth,  to  fill  stations 
of  h.onor  and  usefulness  in  all  departments  of  social  life. 
The  churches  would  send  young  men  to  gain  here  the  skill 
and  power  to  plead  the  gospel,  and  to  lift  up  the  cause  of 
human  redemption. "f 

After  the  exercises  at  the  meeting-house,  the  prospec- 
tive students  to  the  number  of  eighty-four,  the  little  band 
of  selected  teachers,  consisting  of  Amos  Sutton  Hayden, 
Thomas  Munnell,  and  Mrs.  Phoebe  Drake,  the  trustees, 
prom.inent  preachers  among  the  Disciples,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  friends  of  the  school,  and  citizens  generally,  re- 
paired to  the  new  building,  where  further  preliminary 
exercises  were  held  "attendant  on  the  nativity  of  the  Eclec- 
tic Institute."  Before  the  classes  were  formed  addresses 
were  made  by  A.  S.  Hayden,  Thomas  Munnell,  J.  H.  Jones, 
and  Isaac  Errett. 


♦Address  of  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  June  22,  1900. 

tEarlj  History  of  the  Disciples  in  the  Western  Reserve,  p.  265. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S50-1857.  27 

In  view  of  the  great  energy  and  good  taste  of  the 
building  committee  in  the  erection  of  the  building,  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  offered  by  J.  H.  Jones  and  very  en- 
thusiastically adopted  by  the  whole  assembly :  "Resolved, 
That  we  consider  the  edifice  here  erected  and  now  nearly 
completed,  as  admirably  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which 
it  is  designed,  as  it  regards  alike  its  capacity,  its  beautiful 
and  convenient  model,  and  its  tasteful  and  elegant  style ; 
and  also  as  evincing  the  eminent  architectural  skill  of  the 
builders,  and  the  very  great  energy  of  the  building  com- 
mittee."* 

The  first  teachers  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  were  A.  S. 

Hayden,  at  that  time  a  distinguished  preacher  among  the 

Disciples,  a  man  of  good  ability,  of  un- 
Ore-anizins'  the        1  ,        •  ,      1        1  r  1     ,      ,        • 

g  ,      f  blemished    character,    of     scholarly    m- 

stincts,  of  musical  taste,  and,  perhaps,  the 

best  fitted  for  the  leading  place  in  the  new  school  of  any 

of  his   contemporaries;   Thomas   Munnell,   a  graduate   of 

Bethany  College,  a  scholarly  man,  a  competent  teacher,  a 

good  public  speaker,  and  a  cultivated  gentleman ;  and  Mrs. 

Phoebe  Drake,  who  possessed  considerable  experience  as  a 

teacher  and  was  well  qualified  to  take  charge  of  the  Primary 

Department. 

A  committee,  which  had  been  appointed  for  the  pur- 
pose, had  outlined  a  provisional  "course  of  study,"  and  it 

^  ,  had  been  adopted.     The  school  was  di- 

Course  of  •  1     1   •  1  1  -r^   . 

Study  vided  mto  three  departments,  a  Primary, 

a  Higher,  and  a  Highest,  with  the  follow- 
ing branches  assigned  to  each :  Primary — Spelling,  Read- 
ing, Writing,  Arithmetic,  Modern  Geography,  Grammar 
(begun),  Composition  (begun),  and  Modern  History. 
Higher — English  Grammar,  Ancient  Geography,  Logic  and 


*FirEt  Catalogue. 


2S  HISTOKY    OF    HIRAM    COIXEGE. 

Rhetoric,  Natural  Philosophy,  Bookkeeping,  Uranography 
(astronomy).  Natural  History,  Physiology,  Moral  Science 
and  Evidences. 

Highest — Latin  Grammar,  Greek  Grammar,  Greek 
Reader,  Arithmetic,  Algebra,  Higher  Mathematics,  Chem- 
istry and  Ancient  History,  Sacred  History  and  Vocal 
Music ;  this  latter  to  be  taught  to  the  whole  school. 

As  this  schedule  was  only  provisional  and  temporary, 
it  was  soon  superceded  by  a  more  pretentious — 

"Course  of  Study." 

The  following,  requiring  three  years  for  its  completion, 
has  been  adopted,  as  it  realizes  the  designs  of  this  insti- 
tution : 

FIRST  YEAR. 

Arithmetic    Ray 

Geography   Mitchell 

Grammar   Wells 

Philosophy    Parker 

Modern  History   Goodrich 

Ancient  Geography Mitchell 

Sacred  History   The  Bible 

Elocution   McGuffey 

Latin   Andrew's  Latin  Lessons,  and  Caesar 

Algebra    Ray 

Watts  on  the  Mind Emerson 

SECOXD   YEAR. 

English  Analysis   Green 

Ancient  and  Modern  History Willard 

Physiology    Cutter 

Rhetoric   Jamieson 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1S57.  29 

Greek  (begun)    Kuhner 

Virgil  and  Sallust Anthon 

Astronomy   Mattison's  Burrit's 

Algebra    Bourdon 

Geometry   Davies 

Sacred   History    (Con.) 

French   Collot's  Series 

Drawing  and  Painting 

Music    

Bookkeeping Crittenden 

THIRD  YEAR. 

Trigonometry  Davies 

Mensuration   Davies 

Surveying   Davies 

Conic  Sections   Coffin 

Mental  Philosophy Upham 

Moral  Philosophy Wayland 

Political  Economy Wayland 

Logic  Whately 

Cicero  and  Plorace Anthon 

Xenophon    

Herodotus    

Greek  Testament  and  Septuagint 

Chemistry   Gray 

Botany    Wood 

Geology St.  John 

Agricultural  Chemistry Johnston 

Butler's  Analogy    

Evidences  of  Christianity   Paley 

In  choosing  this  course  of  instruction  the  demands  of 
the  age  have  been  kept  in  view.  Any  student  not  v/ishing 
to  remain  three  years  may  take  those  studies  having  refer- 


30  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ence  to  the  occupation  he  chooses  to  follow.  Our  motto 
is  not,  "How  Much,  but  Hoiv  Well."* 

This  "eclectic"  course  was  not  followed  very  rigidly, 
or  systematically ;  but  classes  were  organized  as  they  were 
called  for,  and  it  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the  teaching 
force. 

The  name  "Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute"  was 
suggested  by  Isaac  Errett  and  readily  adopted  as  a  fitting 
description  of  the  scope  and  character  of  the  new  school. 
A  thing  is  called  "eclectic"  that  claims 
the  right  of  freely  choosing  from  all 
sources.  The  original  "eclectics"  were  Greek  philosophers 
who  sought  to  construct  a  whole  from  the  various  and  in- 
congruous parts  of  different  systems.  In  regard  to  the 
Eclectic  Institute  the  theory  no  doubt  was  that  the  school 
should  not  be  bound  by  any  system  already  adopted  or  by 
a  stereotyped  college  curriculum ;  but  that  its  Principal  and 
Faculty  should  be  free  to  choose  the  best  of  all  systems  as 
they  might  be  given  the  wisdom  to  see  it.  The  Eclectic 
Institute  took  no  one  school  for  its  model.  It  did  not  adopt 
wholesale,  the  ideas  of  schools  east  or  west.  It  sought  to 
choose  the  good  from  all,  and  aimed  to  furnish  instruction 
and  educational  discipline  such  as  its  patrons  and  the  times 
demanded. 

The  attendance  of  the  school  increased  so  rapidly  that 

new  teachers  were  demanded,  and  the  teaching  force  was 

increased  before  the  end  of  the  first  term,  by  the  addition 

of  Charles  D.  Wilber  and  Miss  Almeda 

Early  Teachers.         .      t-.        i         a-  t^        i  111 

A.  Booth.     JNorman  Dunshee  was  added 

soon  after,  and  Laura  A.  Clark  was  associated  with  Mrs. 

Drake    in   the    Primary   Department.        During   the    seven 

years  ending  w^ith  Mr.  A.  S.  Hayden's  administration  in 

*First  Catalogue. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  3! 

June,  1857,  the  following  persons  were  published  as  teach- 
ers. Some  of  them  remained  only  a  brief  period ;  others 
remained  after  they  were  chosen,  until  the  end  of  and  some 
beyond,  the  Hayden  administration :  A.  S.  Hayden,  Thomas 
Munnell,  Norman  Dunshee,  Charles  D.  Wilber,  Almeda 
Ann  Booth,  Mrs.  Phoebe  M.  Drake,  Laura  A.  Clark,  Calista 
O.  Carlton,  Amaziah  Hull,  James  A.  Garfield,  Harriet  E. 
Wood,  Harriet  Warren,  S.  L.  Hillier,  J.  B.  Crane,  Mrs. 
Charlotte  R.  Crane,  Miss  Sarah  Udall,  Julia  J.  Smith,  J.  H. 
Rhodes,  G.  C.  Reed,  Hannah  S.  Morton,  Jennie  A.  Chapin, 
Piatt  R.  Spencer,  J.  W.  Lusk,  H.  W.  Everest,  and  Mary  At- 
water.  At  one  time  the  sons  and  daughters  of  P.  R.  Spencer 
were  associated  with  him  in  the  Department  of  Drawing, 
Painting  and  Penmanship. 

Some  of  these  passed  over  into  succeeding  adminis- 
trations of  the  Institution,  but  the  most  of  them  completed 
their  work  in  Hiram  during  the  first  seven  years.  Several 
of  them  reached  a  high  eminence  as  teachers,  and  in  char- 
acter and  life  are  worthy  of  the  high  honor  in  which  they 
have  always  been  held  by  those  who  knew  them  best.  Their 
names  are  worthy  of  more  than  a  passing  notice. 

The  birthplace  of  Amos  Sutton  Hayden  was  Youngs- 
town,  Ohio.  He  was  born  September  17,  181 3.  He  died 
at  Collamer,  Ohio,  September  11,  1880.  He  w^as  the  young- 
est child  in  a  family  of  eight  children, 
seven  of  whom  were  sons.  His  father, 
Samuel  Hayden,  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio  in  1804. 
His  children  v/ere  reared  on  the  farm  and  inured  to  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  a  pioneer  family's  life.  Amidst 
such  surroundings  as  existed  in  eastern  Ohio  in  that  early 
day,  the  boyhood  of  A.  S.  Ilayden  was  spent.  He  was  of 
slight  frame  and  of  a  delicate  physical  organization,  with 
an  eager  mind  and  a  moral  tone  which  were  the  controlling 
influences  in  his  life.     It  was  soon  manifest  that  he  pos- 


32  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

sessed  the  temper  and  disposition  of  the  student  rather  than 
that  of  the  mechanic  or  farm  laborer.  Language  and  hter- 
ature  were  more  congenial  to  his  taste  than  mathematics. 
He  was  a  great  lover  of  books,  especially  religious  books. 
He  never  graduated  from  any  college,  and  yet,  he  was  a 
good  student,  and  by  private  study,  became  a  fair  scholar. 

He  became  a  Christian  under  the  preaching  of  Walter 
Scott,  March  20,  1828;  and  in  1832  he  began  to  preach, 
being  in  his  nineteenth  year.  For  forty-eight  years  he  re- 
mained a  faithful  preacher  of  the  Word  of  God. 

March  i,  1850,  the  Charter  for  the  W^estern  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute  was  granted  by  "The  General  Assembly 
of  the  state  of  Ohio ;"  and  at  the  fourth  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  held  in  Hiram  July  17,  1850,  a  comm.it- 
tee,  of  which  Isaac  Errett  was  chairman,  reported  in  part  as 
follows : — "The  Committee  to  Vv^hom  was  referred  the  duty 
of  negotiating  with  some  person  to  be  Principal  of  the  In- 
stitute, report, — that  they  have  had  correspondence  v»^ith 
several  individuals  on  the  subject;  among  whom  were  Dr. 
R.  Richardson  of  Bethany,  Va.,  Robert  jMilligan  of  Wash- 
ington, Pa.,  and  Samuel  Church  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  with- 
out, as  yet,  making  any  definite  arrangement  with  any 
person." 

This  report  received  "full  discussion  and  considera- 
tion ;"  and  it  was  finally,  "Resolved,  That  A.  S.  Hayden  be 
appointed  Principal  of  the  Institute." 

Mr.  Hayden  accepted  the  position  unanimously  ten- 
dered, and  held  the  place  until  June,  1857. 

After  his  connection  with  Hiram  ceased,  he  was  chosen 
Principal  of  the  "McNeely  Normal  School,"  at  Hopedale, 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  one  year  laboring  in  the  double 
capacity  of  Principal  of  the  school  and  preacher  for  the 
church.  He  resigned  in  August,  1859,  a"d  returned  to 
Collamer,  where,  with  the  exception  of  short  periods  spent 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  33 

at  Eureka,  Illinois,  and  in  Hiram,  he  continued  to  reside 
until  his  death  September  ii,  1880. 

He  was  thirty-seven  years  old  when  he  became  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  at  Hiram. 
He  led  the  "foremost  files"  of  the  thousands  of  young 
men  and  women  v/ho  have  made  up  its  student  list.  He 
did  much,  perhaps  more  than  an)-  other,  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion of  the  school,  honestly  and  solidly  on  the  rock  of 
Christian  truth  and  enterprise.  The  genial  and  inspiring 
enthusiasm  for  what  is  true,  for  God  and  for  man,  and 
the  invincible  prowess,  and  steady  progress  which  have 
manifested  themselves,  in  the  career  of  the  Institution,  over 
all  obstacles  for  fifty  years,  were  very  largely  the  result 
of  his  wise  and  persevering  labor.  Others  helped,  and 
without  them,  he  could  have  done  nothing ;  but  his  was  the 
one  name  that  was  always  spoken  in  connection  with  the 
"Old  Eclectic."  In  the  progress  of  the  years  other  names 
grew  out  of  the  earlier  "Hiram  fellowship"  which  over- 
topped his ;  but,  after  all,  their  glory  in  large  degree,  was 
but  the  result  of  his  loving  watchfulness  and  faithfulness 
toward  themi,  when  they  were  the  "little  ones"  of  Hiram, 
and  he  the  center  of  all  eyes.  And  so,  the  honest  features 
of  the  old  Principal,  teacher,  pastor,  preacher,  and  friend, 
should  be  held  in  grateful  and  lasting  remembrance. 

Associated  with  Mr.  Hayden  at  the  beginning  of  the 

school,  was  Thomas  Munnell.     He  was  the  graduate,  the 

scholar  of  the  trio,  v/hich  was  chosen  to 
Thomas  Munnell.  1        ,         r-  1  ^        n^         1 

teach    the    first    classes.     On     iuesday, 

November  26,  1850,  the  Board  of  Trustees  adopted  the  fol- 
lowing resolution:  "That  Thomas  Munnell  be  appointed  a 
teacher  in  the  Institute." 

One  of  the  traditions  that  has  come  down  from  the 
first  day  of  the  first  session  of  the  first  term  of  the  Institute, 


34  HISTOIIY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

is  that  Thomas  IMunnell  heard  the  first  lesson  ever  recited 
witliin  the  walls  of  the  old  building. 

His  Department  embraced  the  teaching  of  Ancient 
LangT.:ages ;  and  History,  ancient  and  modern. 

In  June,  1850,  he  had  graduated  from  Bethany  College 
as  one  of  the  "honor  men"  of  his  class.  Prof.  B.  A.  Hins- 
dale, speaking  of  him,  says:  "Thomas  Munnell  was  a  grad- 
uate of  Bethany  College,  a  scholarly  man,  a  competent 
teacher,  a  good  public  speaker,  and  a  cultivated  gentleman. 
He  came  from  beyond  the  Ohio  river,  and  brought  to  Hirani 
some  flavor  of  southern  manners  and  personal  cultivation. 
I  never  recited  to  him,  but  a  friend  who  did  says  he  was 
a  good  drill-master,  perhaps  better  than  his  colleagues.  He 
was  here  at  two  dififerent  times,  but  did  not  rem.ain  long 
at  either  one."* 

When  Mr.  Alunnell  left  Hiram  in  1853  the  Board  of 
Trustees  placed  on  record  a  resolution,  thanking  him  ''for 
the  fidelity  and  ability  with  which  his  duties  had  been  dis- 
charged." 

In  his  address  on  Almeda  A.  Booth  delivered  at  Hiram 
June  22,  1876,  James  A.  Garfield  related  the  following  inci- 
dent: "I  came  to  the  Eclectic  in  the  fall  of  185 1,  and  a  few 
days  after  the  beginning  of  the  term,  I  saw  a  class  of  three 
reciting  in  mathematics — geometry,  I  think.  They  sat  on 
one  of  the  red  benches,  in  the  center  aisle  of  the  lower 
chapel.  I  had  never  seen  a  geometry;  and,  regarding  both 
teacher  and  class  with  a  feeling  of  reverential  awe,  from 
the  intellectual  height  to  which  they  had  climbed,  I  studied 
their  faces  so  closely  that  I  seem  to  see  them  now  as  dis- 
tinctly as  I  saw  them  then.  And  it  has  been  my  good  for- 
tune, since  that  time,  to  claim  them  all  as  intimate  friends. 
The  teacher  was  Thomas  Munnell ;  and  the  members  of  his 


♦Hiram  Address,  June,  1900. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  35 

class  were  William  B.  Hazen,  George  A.  Baker,  and  Al- 
meda  A.  Booth. '"'= 

In  regard  to  Mr.  Garfield's  early  student  life  at  Hiram, 
Mr.  Munnell  is  on  record: 

"Mt.  Sterling,  Ky.,  December  2;^,  1881. 

F.  M.  Green  :  Dear  Sir — In  compliance  with  your  re- 
quest, I  send  you  the  following  fact  concerning  Garfield  as 
a  student.  I  belonged  to  the  first  Faculty  of  Hiram  Col- 
lege— the  Eclectic  Institute  then — and  in  November,  1850, 
heard  the  first  lesson  ever  recited  within  its  walls,  and, 
therefore,  knew  the  general  impression  made  by  the  noble 
student  when  he  first  appeared  upon  the  campus,  and, 
especially  in  the  professors'  rooms. 

When  he  arrived  he  had  studied  a  little  of  Latin  gram- 
mar, but  had  done  nothing  in  the  way  of  translating.  I 
had  no  class  to  suit  him  in  elementary  Latin,  one  being  be- 
hind him,  and  another  far  in  advance.  He  resolved  at 
once  to  overtake  the  advanced  class,  provided  I  would  hear 
his  recitation  after  class  hours,  which  I  readily  agreed  to 
do.  Teachers  all  know  that  an  average  lesson  for  an  ordi- 
nary student,  beginning  Caesar's  Commentaries,  is  half  a 
page,  while  carrying  on  the  usual  number  of  other  studies ; 
but,  on  no  occasion  did  Garfield  come  in  to  said  recitations 
without  three  pages  of  Cassar,  or  six  ordinary  lessons,  and 
then  could  go  on  further  if  I  had  time  to  hear  him.  His 
method  of  getting  a  start,  as  he  afterwards  told  me,  v/as 
resolute  and  determined.  He  went  to  a  secluded  place  in 
the  college  with  his  Caesar,  dictionary,  and  grammar,  and 
undertook  to  translate  the  first  paragraph  of  half  a  dozen 
lines  by  writing  down  every  Latin  word,  and  under  it 
every  definition  of  that  word,  till  he  found  the  one  that 
made  the  best  sense,  and  when  he  had  fairly  made  out, 


*Address,  Almeda  A.  Booth,  Page  17. 


36  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

'All  Gaul  is  divided  into  three  parts/  he  thought  his  tri- 
umph had  begun ;  and  when  he  had  completed  the  whole 
paragraph,  he  said,  he  'just  knew  that  he  knew  it.' 

This   was   in   line   with   all   his   after   studies,    for   he 
always  sought  a  conscious  victory  over  every  difficulty. 
Truly  yours, 

Thomas  Munnell."* 

After  Mr.  Munnell  left  Hiram  he  was  Principal  of 
academies  at  Williamsburg,  New  York,  Mount  Sterling, 
Ky.,  and  New  Castle,  Ky.  He  served,  also,  as  pastor  and 
preacher  for  several  churches  among  which  was  the  historic 
Church  of  Christ  at  the  corner  of  8th  and  Walnut  streets, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Quite  early  he  gave  his  attention  to  or- 
ganized missionary  w^ork,  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 
He  was  for  several  years  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of 
the  "Kentucky  Christian  Missionary  Society,"  and  did 
much  to  bring  organized  missionary  work  to  the  front  in 
that  state.  In  1869  he  was  elected  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary of  the  "American  Christian  Missionary  Society,"  and 
served  continuously  in  that  office,  until  1878,  a  period  of 
nine  years.  For  this  society  he  was  a  tireless  worker ;  and, 
to  him,  perhaps,  more  than  to  any  other  man,  is  due  the 
present  usefulness  of  that  society.  He  was  distinguished 
for  high  intellectual  and  moral  qualities.  He  was  emphat- 
ically a  good  man,  and  his  intellectual  equipment  w-as  of  the 
best  quality.  From  the  time  of  his  graduation  in  1850 
until  his  death,  his  life  was  devoted  to  teaching  and  preach- 
ing. He  was  not  an  orator,  but  he  was  a  plain,  practical, 
instructive,  and  entertaining  preacher.  He  had  a  tough 
bony  frame,  and  a  sharp,  black  eye,  and  was  w'ell  organized 
for  great  mental  and  physical  exertion.     He,  also,  wielded 


*Life  of  Garfield,  by  F.  M.  Green,  p.  99. 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S50-1857.  37 

a  trenchant  pen,  and  was  always  a  formidable  opponent  to 
any  "knight  of  the  quill,"  who  attempted  to  dispute  either 
his  positions  or  plans.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  county,  West 
Virginia,  February  8,  1S23,  and  died  in  Alma,  Illinois,  in 
1898.  His  work  was  well  done,  and  his  life,  at  last  well- 
closed. 

November  26,  1850,  the  Board  of  Trustees,  resolved, 

"That  Mrs.  Phoebe  M.  Drake  be  appointed  Principal  of 

the  Primary  Department."     She  accepted  the  position  and 

had  charge  of  the   Primary  Department 

„,  ,  ,,  '  ,  for  about  one  vear.  But  little  biograph- 
Phoebe  M.  Drake.  -  t^     f 

ical  material  concerning  her  has  been 
preserved.  She  came  to  the  position  with  "much  exper- 
ience as  a  teacher,  and  was  well  qualified  to  preside  over  the 
Department  to  which  she  was  chosen."  She  was  a  good 
and  faithful  woman,  and  a  teacher  whose  name  is  worthy 
of  remembrance.  Following  her  in  the  Primary  Depart- 
ment were  Laura  A.  Clark,  Calista  O.  Carlton,  Harriet  E. 
Wood,  Sarah  Udall,  and  Mary  Atwater. 

Of  these  Sarah  Udall  remained  the  longest  and  left 
the  deepest  impression  on  the  Department.  Her  life  his- 
tory was  brief  but  interesting.  She  vv^as  born  in  Susque- 
hanna County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1815, 
and  died  in  Warren,  Ohio,  in  1858. 
While  she  was  yet  a  child  her  parents  removed  to  Jefferson, 
Ohio,  making  the  journey  of  four  hundred  miles  through 
the  v/ilderness  with  a  span  of  horses  and  a  wagon.  Soon 
after  coming  to  Jefferson  she  became  a  member  of  the 
family  of  Hon.  Joshua  R.  Giddings  though  she  was  never 
legally  adopted  by  him.  But  Mr.  Giddings  and  his  wife 
were  to  her  father  and  mother,  and  the  Giddings  homestead 
was  always  her  home.  She  attended  school  at  Jefferson 
and  at  the  Female  Seminary  then  located  at  Willoughby. 


38  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

She  began  her  work  of  teaching,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  in  a 
district  school  in  Jefferson.  As  her  ability  became  known, 
her  services  were  sought  for  in  many  places  and  she  availed 
herself  of  every  advantage,  teaching  in  different  parts  of 
Ohio,  and  in  Pennsylvania,  thus  widening  her  experience 
and  enlarging  her  circle  of  influence.  There  are  letters 
preserved  by  the  Giddings  family  which  prove  the  high 
esteem  in  which  she  was  held  by  them.  Her  letters  to  Mr. 
Giddings  during  the  exciting  anti-slavery  days,  are  beauti- 
fully written,  and  show  that  she  was  well  informed  in  po- 
litical affairs.  They  are  full  of  affectionate  encouragement 
to  that  grand  man  who  stood  almost  alone  in  Congress 
strenuously  contending  for  his  faith.  Under  date  of  June 
30,  1848,  she  wrote  to  him:  "I  was  truly  rejoiced  at  the 
bold  spirit  you  manifested.  I  am  rejoiced  that  there  is 
one,  at  least,  who  dares,  on  the  floor  of  Congress,  to  let 
his  voice  be  heard  in  the  cause  of  right  and  justice.  *  *  * 
I  cannot  but  hope  that  the  time  is  near  when  there  shall  not 
be  one  soul  from  the  great  lakes  to  the  gulf  but  shall  be 
free." 

In  1847  she  came  to  Hiram  and  taught  the  center 
school.  When  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute 
opened  she  entered  as  a  student ;  and  from  1853  to  1856  she 
was  Principal  of  the  Primary  Department.  She  was  mar- 
ried in  April,  1857,  to  J.  H.  Goodale  of  Warren,  Ohio.  She 
died  in  1858  and  her  body  was  buried  at  Jefferson,  near  the 
hom.e  of  her  childhood.* 

Thomas  JMunnell  and  Charles  D.  Wilber  became 
teachers  in  Hiram  about  the  same  time,  Mr.  Munnell  being 
chosen  first.     In  the  record  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  held 

^.-    ,     ^  „,.,^        on  Friday,  May  30,   185 1,  it  was  "Re- 
Charles  D.  Wilber.         ,       ,      A,\     ri,     1        t^     \\T•^u       u^    «^ 
solved,    that    Charles  D.  Wilber  be  ap- 
pointed teacher  of  the  Natural  Sciences."     The  records  of 


*Letter  of  A.  L.  Arntr,  M.  D.,  Jefferson,  O. 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  39 

the  Institute  do  not  contain  much  concerning  him ;  but 
when  he  was  chosen  to  teach  the  "Natural  Sciences"  he  was 
introduced  as  "a  young  gentleman  of  fine  attainments  and 
approved  didactic  ability."  His  health  was  not  rugged 
and  within  about  one  year  he  resigned  his  position  as 
teacher  and  left  Hiram.  In  view  of  his  ability  and  faith- 
fulness, the  Board  of  Trustees  June  23,  1853,  expressed  a 
resolution  of  thanks  to  him,  "for  the  fidelity  and  ability 
with  which  his  duties  had  been  discharged."  From  Hiram 
he  went  to  Williams  College  and  then  to  the  West  where  he 
became  well  known  as  a  geologist.  It  is  probable  that  to 
him  Hiram  owes  a  debt  of  love  for  first  suggesting  to  Mr. 
A.  S.  Hayden  the  name  of  Miss  Almeda  A.  Booth  as  a 
teacher  for  the  young  "Eclectic."  He  was  a  very  enthusi- 
astic and  popular  teacher  of  science.  "An  experienced 
teacher  who  knew  him  well  says  his  methods  were  more 
in  accord  with  what  we  call  modern  teaching  that  those  of 
any  of  his  colleagues."  Perhaps  it  is  not  material  to  know 
where  he  obtained  his  early  education ;  but  he  went  to  Wil- 
liamstown,  Mass.,  with  "Kai  Gar,"  as  he  called  Garfield,  in 
1854,  and  graduated  in  the  same  class  two  years  later. 
"After  a  life  of  some  ups  and  downs,  he  died  December 
20,  1891,  at  Aurora,  Ilinois,  in  his  63d  year." 

At  the  seventh  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  held  October   14, 
185 1,  it  was  "Resolved,  that   Norman   Dunshee  be  ap- 
pointed    teacher    of     Mathematics     and 
Norman  Dunshee.      ■•  ^     1  t  •        ,1         t      .-,    ,     » 

Modern    Languages    m    the    Institute. 

This  was  Mr.  Dunshee's  introduction  to  Hiram  and  the  be- 
ginning of  his  honorable  relation  to  Hiram  as  one  of  its 
ablest  teachers.  Norman  Dunshee  was  born  in  Bedford. 
Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio,  January  24,  1821.  He  was  pre- 
pared for  college  at  the  Twinsburg  Institute,  Twinsburg, 


4©  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Ohio,  conducted  by  Rev.  Samuel  Bissell.  He  graduated  at 
Western  Reserve  College,  Hudson,  Ohio,  in  1845.  He 
afterwards  studied  theology  at  Hudson  during  the  years 
1847-49.  He  taught  in  the  Twinsburg  Institute  from  1849 
to  185 1.  He  began  his  work  in  Hiram  in  185 1  and  con- 
tinued until  1859.  From  Hiram  he  went  to  Kansas  where 
he  was  count}^  superintendent  of  public  instruction  from 
1867  to  1869.  He  was  Professor  of  Mathematics  in  Oska- 
loosa  College,  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  from  1870  to  1877.  He 
then  became  Professor  of  ancient  languages  in  Drake  Uni- 
versity, Des  Moines,  Iowa,  in  1881.  This  position  he  held 
to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1890.  In  character  he  was  an 
excellent  man;  "and  by  far  the  first  scholar  in  the  early 
Hiram  group,  and,  all  things  considered,  perhaps  the  most 
learned  man  who  ever  taught  on  the  Hill.  Students  could 
learn  in  his  class-room,  and  many  did  learn,  but  he  was  not 
an  inspiring  teacher.  Even  Homer  sometimes  nodded,  and 
Dunshee  also  nodded  while  teaching  Homer.  He  also 
preached,  but,  unlike  Hayden  and  Munnell,  was  primarily 
a  teacher.* 

His  body  is  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  and  lies  not  far  from  that  of  Harvey  W.  Everest, 
another  of  Hiram's  best  teachers. 

Almeda  Ann   Booth   came  to  Hiram  in   185 1.     On 

]\Iay  30  of  that  year  the  Board  of  Trustees  "appointed  her 

a  teacher  in  the  English  Department."     To  her,  more  than 

to  any  other  person,  is  due  the  consist 
Almeda  A.  Booth.  ,  r  ,1      -iTr     i.         -o 

ency  and  permanence  of  the  Western  Ke- 

serve  Eclectic  Institute.     With  the  exception  of  one  year 

spent  in  Oberlin  College,  she  was  in  Hiram  from  the  spring 

term  of  185 1  until  Commencement  1866 — in  all  forty-three 

terms.     Though  she  was  appointed  to  teach  in  the  English 


*  "  The  Eclectic  Institute,"  by  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  p.  11. 


ALMEDA  A.  BOOTH. 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  4I 

Department,  she  soon  became  Principal  of  the  Ladies'  De- 
partment. Her  power  over  students  was  very  great,  and 
"it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  in  Northern  Ohio  no  lady 
teacher  has  surpassed  Miss  Booth,  taking  into  account 
length  of  service,  number  of  pupils  taught,  uniform  success. 
and  strength  of  personal  influence.  She  was  in  Hiram 
during  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Eclectic  period,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  grave  the  shiftina:  corps  of  teachers  such  contin- 
uity and  permanence  as  it  had.  First  and  last  more  Eclectic 
history  gathers  about  Almeda  Booth  than  about  any  other 
person  in  the  school."* 

Few  women  of  nobler  character,  purer  life,  or  better 
mental  equipment,  have  ever  lived.  She  was  born  in  Nel- 
son, Ohio,  August  15,  1823,  and  died  in  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
December  15,  1875.  During  all  of  her  term  of  service  at 
Hiram  the  light  of  her  soul  illuminated  the  classroom,  and 
the  social  walks  of  the  students.  It  is  difficult  to  institute 
a  comparison  between  her  and  others  of  her  generation. 
She  had  a  distinct  individuality  and  an  almost  divine  per- 
sonality. No  one  who  ever  came  in  contact  with  her  can 
forget  her.  Even-tempered,  an  empress  in  her  power  to 
control,  a  conqueror  of  every  will  that  seemed  to  her  to 
stand  in  the  way  of  true  progress,  she  was  undisputed  mis- 
tress of  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  influence. 
Her  early  pupils  regarded  her  with  almost  as  much  rever- 
ence as  the  devout  Romanist  does  the  Virgin  Mary.  Her 
sweet.  Christian  spirit  made  more  fragrant  by  the  sorrows 
of  her  life,  permeated  with  its  richness,  the  history  of 
Hiram  school  and  social  life,  for  a  full  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. Mr.  Garfield,  who  was  associated  with  her  so  long, 
and  knew  her  so  well,  in  his  address  June  22,  1876,  at 
Hiram  shows  such  a  sympathetic  insight  into  her  life  and 

*B.  A.  Hinsdale. 


42  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

character,  as  to  make  his  estimate  particularly  valuable  to 
those  who  would  know  her  as  she  was  known. 

The  lesson  and  legacy  of  her  life,  left  to  her  friends 
and  to  Hiram,  are  felicitously  expressed  by  her  apprecia- 
tive biographer :  Her  life  was  so  largely  and  so  insep- 
arably a  part  of  our  own,  that  it  is  not  easy  for  any  of  us, 
least  of  all  for  me,  to  take  a  sufficiently  distant  standpoint 
from  which  to  measure  its  proportions.  We  shall  never 
forget  her  sturdy  well-formed  figure ;  her  head  that  would 
have  appeared  colossal  but  for  its  symmetry  of  proportions ; 
the  strongly  marked  features  of  her  plain,  rugged  face,  not 
moulded  according  to  the  artist's  lines  of  beauty,  but  so 
lighted  up  with  intelligence  and  kindliness  as  to  appear 
positively  beautiful  to  those  who  knew  her  well. 

The  basis  of  her  character,  the  controlling  force  which 
developed  and  formed  it,  was  strength — extraordinary  in- 
tellectual power.  Blessed  with  a  vigorous  constitution  and 
robust  bodily  health,  her  capacity  for  close,  continuous,  and 
effective  mental  work  was  remarkable. 

It  is  hardly  possible  for  one  person  to  know  the  qual- 
ity and  strength  of  another's  mind  more  thoroughly  than 
I  knew  hers.  From  long  association  in  her  studies,  and 
comparing  her  with  all  the  students  I  have  known,  here 
and  elsewhere,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  I  have  never 
known  one  who  grasped  with  greater  power,  and  handled 
with  more  ease  and  thoroughness,  all  the  studies  of  the 
college  course.  I  doubt  if  in  all  these  respects  I  have  ever 
known  one  who  was  her  equal.  She  caught  an  author's 
meaning  with  remarkable  quickness  and  clearness ;  and, 
mastering  the  difficulties  of  construction,  she  detected,  with 
almost  unerring  certainty,  the  most  delicate  shades  of 
thought. 

She  abhorred  all  shams  in  scholarship,  and  would  be 
content  with  nothing  short  of  the  whole  meaning.  When 
crowded  with  work,  it  was  not  unusual  for  her  to  sit  by 
her  lamp,  unconscious  of  the  hours,  till  far  past  midnight. 

Her  powers  were  well  balanced.  When  I  first  knew 
her,  it  was  supposed  that  her  mind  was  specially  adapted 
to  mathematical  study.     A  little  later,  it  was  thought  she 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  43 

had  found  her  fittest  work  in  the  field  of  the  natural  sci- 
ences ;  later  still,  one  would  have  said  she  had  found  her 
highest  possibilities  in  the  languages. 

Her  mind  was  many-sided,  strong,  compact,  symmet- 
rical. It  was  this  symmetry  and  balance  of  qualities  that 
gave  her  such  admirable  judgment,  and  enabled  her  to  con- 
centrate all  her  powers  upon  any  work  she  attempted. 

To  this  general  statement  concerning  her  faculties 
there  was,  however,  one  marked  exception.  While  she  en- 
joyed, and  in  some  degree  appreciated,  the  harmonies  of 
music,  she  was  almost  wholly  deficient  in  the  faculty  of 
musical  expression.  After  her  return  from  college,  she 
determined  to  ascertain  by  actual  test  to  what  extent,  if 
at  all,  this  defect  could  be  overcome.  With  a  patience  and 
courage  I  have  never  seen  equalled  in  such  a  case,  she 
persisted  for  six  months  in  the  attempt  to  master  the  tech- 
nical mysteries  of  instrumental  music,  and  even  attempted 
one  vocal  piece.  But  she  found  that  the  struggle  was 
nearly  fruitless ;  the  music  in  her  soul  would  not  come 
forth  at  her  bidding.  A  few  of  her  friends  will  remember, 
that,  for  many  years,  to  mention  "The  Suwanee  River"  was 
the  signal  for  a  little  good-natured  merriment  at  her  ex- 
pense, and  a  reminder  of  her  heroic  attempt  at  vocal  and 
instrumental  music. 

The  tone  of  her  mind  was  habitually  logical  and 
serious,  not  specially  inclined  to  what  is  technically  known 
as  wit ;  but  she  had  the  heartiest  appreciation  of  genuine 
humor,  such  as  glows  on  the  pages  of  Cervantes  and  Dick- 
ens. Clifton  Bennett  and  Levi  Brown  will  never  forget 
how  keenly  she  enjoyed  the  quaint  drollery  with  which 
they  once  presented,  at  a  public  lyceum,  a  scene  from  "Don 
Quixote ;"  and  I  am  sure  there  are  three  persons  here  to-day 
who  will  never  forget  how  nearly  she  was  once  suffocated 
with  laughter  over  a  mock  presentation  speech  by  Harry 
Rhodes. 

Though  possessed  of  very  great  intellectual  powers, 
or,  as  the  arrogance  of  our  sex  accustoms  us  to  say,  "hav- 
ing a  mind  of  masculine  strength,"  it  was  not  at-«ll  mas- 
culine in  the  opprobrious  sense  in  which  that  term  is  fre- 
quently  applied   to    women.     She   was   a    most    womanlv 


44  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

woman,  with  a  spirit  of  gentle  and  childlike  sweetness, 
with  no  self-consciousness  of  superiority,  and  not  the  least 
trace  of  arrogance. 

Though  possessing  these  great  powers,  she  was  not 
unmindful  of  those  elegant  accomplishments,  the  love  of 
whicii  seems  native  to  the  mind  of  woman. 

In  her  earlier  years  she  was  sometimes  criticised  as 
caring  too  little  for  the  graces  of  dress  and  manner;  and 
there  was  some  justice  in  the  criticism.  The  possession  of 
great  powers,  no  doubt,  carries  with  it  a  contempt  for  mere 
external  show.  In  her  early  life  Miss  Booth  dressed 
neatly,  though  with  the  utmost  plainness,  and  applied  her- 
self to  the  work  of  gaining  the  more  enduring  ornaments 
of  mind  and  heart.  In  her  first  years  at  Hiram  she  had 
devoted  all  her  powers  to  teaching  and  mastering  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  higher  studies,  and  had  given  but  little  time 
to  what  are  called  the  more  elegant  accomplishments.  But 
she  was  not  deficient  in  appreciation  of  all  that  really 
adorns  and  beautifies  a  thorough  culture.  After  her  re- 
turn from  Oberlin  she  paid  more  attention  to  the  ''mint, 
anise,  and  cummin"  of  life.  During  the  last  fifteen  years 
of  her  life,  few  ladies  dressed  with  more  severe  or  elegant 
taste.  As  a  means  of  personal  culture,  she  read  the  history 
of  art,  devoted  much  time  to  drawing  and  painting,  and 
acquired  considerable  skill  with  the  pencil  and  brush. 

She  did  not  enjoy  miscellaneous  society.  Great  crowd? 
were  her  abhorrence.  But  in  a  small  circle  of  congenial 
friends  she  was  a  delighted  and  a  delightful  companion. 

Her  religious  character  affords  an  additional  illustra- 
tion of  her  remarkable  combination  of  strength  and  gentle- 
ness. At  an  early  age  she  became  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  continued  in  faithful  and  con- 
sistent relations  with  that  organization  until  she  united 
with  the  Disciples,  soon  after  she  came  to  Hiram. 

I  venture  to  assert,  that  in  native  powers  of  mind,  in 
thoroughness  and  breadth  of  scholarship,  in  womanly 
sweetness  of  spirit,  and  in  the  quantity  and  quality  of 
effective,  unselfish  work  done,  she  has  not  been  excelled 
by  any  American  wom.an.  What  she  accomplished  with 
her  great  powers,  thoroughly  trained  and  subordinated  to 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850- 1S57.  45 

the  principles  of  a  Christian  Hfe,  has  been  briefly  stated. 

She  did  not  iind  it  necessary  to  make  war  upon  society 
in  order  to  capture  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  her  great 
qualities.  Though  urging  upon  women  the  necessity  of 
the  largest  and  most  thorough  culture,  and  demanding  for 
them  the  amplest  means  for  acquiring  it,  she  did  not  waste 
her  years  in  bewailing  the  subjection  of  her  sex,  but  em- 
ployed them  in  making  herself  a  great  and  beneficent  power. 
She  did  far  more  to  honor  and  exalt  woman's  place  in 
society  than  the  thousands  of  her  contemporaries  who  strug- 
gle more  earnestly  for  the  barren  sceptre  of  power  than  for 
fitness  to  wield  it. 

She  might  have  adorned  the  highest  walks  of  litera- 
ture, and  doubtless  might  thus  have  won  a  noisy  fame.  But 
it  may  be  doubted  whether  in  any  other  pursuit  she  could 
have  conferred  greater  or  more  lasting  benefits  upon  her 
fellow-creatures,  than  by  the  life  she  so  faithfully  and  suc- 
cessfully devoted  to  the  training  and  culture  of  youth. 
With  no  greed  of  power  or  gain,  she  found  her  chief  re- 
ward in  blessing  others. 

I  do  not  know  of  any  man  or  woman,  who,  at  fifty-one 
years  of  age,  had  done  more  or  better  vv^ork.  I  have  not 
been  able  to  ascertain  precisely  how  long  she  taught  before 
she  came  to  Hiram ;  but  it  was  certainly  not  less  than  fifteen 
terms.  She  taught  forty-two  terms  here,  tvv^enty-one  terms 
in  the  Union  School  at  Cuyahoga  Falls,  and,  finally,  two 
years  in  private  classes ;  in  all,  nearly  tv/enty-eight  years  of 
faithful  and  most  successful  teaching,  to  which  she  devoted 
the  wealth  of  her  great  faculties  and  admirable  scholar- 
ship. 

How  rich  and  how  full  was  the  measure  of  gratitude 
poured  out  to  her,  from  many  thousands  of  loving  hearts ! 
And  to-day,  from  every  station  of  life,  and  from  every 
quarter  of  our  country,  are  heard  the  voices  of  those  who 
rise  up  to  call  her  blessed,  and  to  pay  their  tearful  tribute 
of  gratitude  to  her  mernory. 

On  my  own  behalf,  I  take  this  occasion  to  say,  that  for 
her  generous  and  powerful  aid,  so  often  and  so  efficiently 
rendered,  for  her  quick  and  never- failing  sympathy,  and 
for  her  intelligent,   unselfish,   and   unswerving   friendship, 


4.6  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

I  owe  her  a  debt  of  gratitude  and  affection,  for  the  payment 
of  which  the  longest  term  of  Hfe  woulc^  have  been  too  short. 

To  this  institution  she  has  left  the  honorable  record 
of  a  long  and  faithful  service,  and  the  rich  legacy  of  a  pure 
and  noble  life.  I  have  shown  that  she  lived  three  lives. 
One  of  these,  the  second,  in  all  its  richness  and  fulness,  she 
gave  to  Hiram.  Alore  than  half  of  all  her  teaching  was 
done  here,  where  she  taught  much  longer  than  any  other 
person  has  taught;  and  no  one  has  done  work  of  better 
quality. 

She  has  here  reared  a  monument  which  the  envious 
years  cannot  wholly  destroy.  As  long  as  the  love  of  learn- 
ing shall  here  survive ;  as  long  as  the  light  of  this  college 
shall  be  kept  burning;  as  long  as  there  are  hearts  to  hold 
and  cherish  the  memory  of  its  past ;  as  long  as  high  qual- 
ities of  mind  and  heart  are  honored  and  loved  among  men 
and  women, — so  long  will  the  name  of  Almeda  A.  Booth 
be  here  remembered,  and  honored,  and  loved.* 

Other  teachers  of  more  or  less  merit,  but  who  remained 
for  brief  periods  during  this  administration,  and  are  worthy 
of  mention,  are  Amaziah  Hull,  who  afterwards  became 
Professor  of  Languages  in  Oskaloosa 
College;  S.  L.  Hillier,  who  went  to  Xew 
York  to  practice  law ;  James  A.  Garfield,  H.  W.  Everest, 
and  J.  H.  Rhodes,  who  became  distinguished  as  teachers; 
and  J.  B.  Crane. 

Provision  was  made  for  teaching  Music,  Drawing,  and 
Penmanship.  J.  W.  Lusk  and  the  Spencers,  father  and 
sons,  were  for  many  years  employed  as  teachers  of  pen- 
m.anship. 

When  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  was  first 
opened  for  students  in  November  1850,  the  Trustees  had 
not  waited  to  finish  the  building  and  the  opening  day  found 


♦Life  and  Character  of  Almeda  A.  Booth. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMEKT,    185O-1857.  47 

The  it    in    a    state    of    incompleteness.     The 

Accommodations  first  sessions  were  held  in  the  lower  story. 
for  Students.  jj^^  large  upper  room  so  long  used 
as  a  chapel,  and  now  used  for  the  library,  was  not 
finished  before  1851.  The  two  wings  and  the  large  room 
in  the  west  extension  were,  at  first,  the  only  ones  used. 
The  Primary  Department  was  in  the  south  wing.  The 
large  room  back  of  the  entrance  hall  served  as  a  chapel. 
For  this  reason,  it  was  known  throughout  the  entire  his- 
tory of  the  original  building  as  the  "Lower  Chapel."  For 
sometimic  after  the  opening  of  the  school  its  class  room 
exercises  were  disturbed  by  the  sound  of  hammer  and  saw 
in  the  upper  story  of  the  building. 

The   accommodations   for   students   in   the  matters   of 
boarding  and  lodging  were  also  very  limited.     The  sudden- 
ness with  which  the  Eclectic  sprang  into  life  on   Hiram 
Hill  took  the  quiet  rural  community  with 

,     ,  ?  no  little  surprise.     Outside  the  ranks  of 

Lodging.  ^ 

the  Disciples  there  were  not  many  people 
who  had  given  any  attention  to  the  school  movement.  As 
prominent  a  citizen  as  Esquire  Udall  had  not  even  heard  of 
it  until  about  time  for  the  delegate  convention  at  Aurora 
to  meet.  The  entire  change  took  place  in  less  than  a  year. 
In  the  midst  of  their  unpretentious  homes  the  big  building 
arose  with  Aladdin-like  celerity,  a  flood  of  young  people 
came  pouring  in  from  the  surrounding  country,  and  from 
distant  points,  and  the  community  suddenly  found  itself  face 
to  face  with  a  demand  to  throw  open  its  private  doors  for 
their  reception  and  comfort.  The  strain  on  the  people's 
resources  was  not  slight  but  they  met  it  generally  with 
hearty  good  will.  They  were  glad  to  have  the  school  in 
their  midst  and  to  have  their  children  brought  into  the 
circle  of  its  associations — a  little  proud,  no  doubt,  of  the  dis- 


48  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    C0LLP:GE. 

tinction  it  would  give  the  town.  The  village  proper  was, 
of  course,  not  adequate  to  this  sudden  demand.  There  was 
not  a  farmhouse  within  a  mile  without  boarders.  Some  of 
them  were  full.  As  many  as  eighteen  were  at  one  time 
domiciled  at  George  Udall's  down  at  the  foot  of  the  east 
hill  where  Mr,  Frank  Udall  now  lives.  Many  students 
boarded  at  Esquire  Udall's,  the  house  east  of  George 
Udall's  on  the  hill.  Others  boarded  up  at  the  Packer  farm 
— now  Mr.  Ford'^.  Judge  H.  C.  White  found  a  home  at 
Mr.  Orrin  Hutchinson's  up  west  of  the  cemetery  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road,  while  the  old  Beaman  house  down 
in  the  hollow  below  the  east  hill,  was  the  home  of  a  student 
who  afterward  became  president  of  Hiram  College.* 

The  local  patronage  was  large.  Both  young  men  and 
young  women  walked  from  points  on  the  diagonal  road  to 
Garrettsville  south-east  from  the  present  home  of  Mason 
Tilden.  Some  came  from  the  old  red  brick  house  on  that 
road — the  Wheeler  home.  Some  from  Raymond's, 
Young's,  and  Mason's  on  the  south  center  road  almost  as 
far  away  as  the  present  railroad  station.  Others  from  far 
north  over  the  Geauga  Co.  line.  As  might  be  expected 
this  sudden  influx  of  students  required  no  end  of  planning 
and  devising  in  order  to  extend  the  accommodations  of 
houses  whose  builders  sav/  no  such  vision  as  this.  An  old 
student  tells  of  a  small  room  at  George  Udall's  which  had 
a  sort  of  shelf  or  offset  around  three  sides  of  it  so  that  a 
bedstead  could  not  be  set  up.  But  two  legs  of  the  bedstead 
were  sawed  off  and  then  placed  on  the  offset  while  the  re- 
maining two  reached  the  floor.  At  the  same  house  the 
shelves  of  a  pantry  were  torn  out  to  accommodate  a  bed, 
and  the  pantry  dispensed  with  or  moved  to  another  part 
of  the  house.     Three,   sometimes  four  students,  occupied 


*Burke  A.  Hinsdale. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  49 

one  room — often  a  small  one — yet  they  contrived  to  study 
hard  and  to  maintain  a  good  standing  in  the  work  of  the 
school.  Boarding  was  about  $1.25  per  week — good,  sub- 
stantial, about  what  may  be  found  in  the  average  farm 
home  on  the  Western  Reserve  today.  There  was  abund- 
ance of  boiled  dinners,  soup,  vegetables  and  good  bread — 
while  for  tea  there  was  a  lighter  meal  of  bread  and  butter 
and  cookies,  cheese  and  maple  syrup.  There  was  pie 
often  enough,  but  none  of  the  indigestible  knick-knacks 
that  now-a-days  so  often  set  a  student's  stomach  at  variance 
with  his  brains. 

At  the  close  of  the  spring  session  in  185 1,  the  Board 
passed  a  resolution  to  thank  the  citizens  of  Hiram  for  the 
accommodating  disposition  shown  in  furnishing  boarding 
to  the  students  of  the  Institute.  As  the  number  of  students 
increased  the  problem  of  furnishing  them  comfortable 
quarters  became  a  serious  one  and  in  1852  the  Board  con- 
sidered the  advisability  of  erecting  a  boarding  hall.  This 
scheme,  however,  was  laid  aside  and  a  new  building  com- 
mittee was  empowered  to  contract  a  loan  of  three  thousand 
dollars  to  be  used  in  putting  up  boarding  houses  furnished 
with  such  conveniences  as  might  be  thought  necessary.  Both 
Board  and  Building  Committee  assumed  mutual  and  indi- 
vidual responsibility  for  this  loan.  The  houses  were  built 
in  1852  but  do  not  seem  to  have  been  a  paying  venture. 
The  rents  on  them  steadily  declined  for  several  years  and 
they  were  finally  sold,  but  on  exactly  what  terms  cannot 
now  be  determined.  The  history  of  the  management  of 
boarding  halls  and  dormitories  by  the  authorities  of  a  school 
is  not  an  encouraging  one  generally,  and  shows  that  such 
things  are  better  in  the  hands  of  private  enterprise.  The 
houses  built  by  the  committee  are  all  standing  in  Hiram  at 
the  present  date. 


50  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

They  are  the  two  on  Pcckham  Avenue  and  now  occu- 
pied, one  by  Mr.  William  Oliver  and  one  by  Mrs.  E.  P. 
Warren.  The  one  on  the  south-west  corner  .of  West  and 
North  Campus  Street  resided  in  at  present  by  Mr,  H.  B. 
Cox ;  the  old  Carroll  house  immediately  south  of  it  now 
falling  to  pieces,  and  the  little  white  house  just  v»rest  of 
Mr.  Bower's  large  barn — the  home  of  Mrs.  Nora  Ouinn. 
This  last  house  is  well  known  in  Hiram  uistory  as  "Tiffany 
Hall."  Another  over  sanguine  venture  of  the  Board  may 
be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  This  was  the  purchase 
of  the  Higley  farm,  as  it  was  called.  This  body  of  land  oc- 
cupied the  whole  east  slope  of  Hiram  hill,  running  for  a 
half  mile  east  on  the  east  and  west  center  road  and  as  far 
north  on  the  north  and  south  road  as  the  present  farm  of 
Lester  Bennett.  The  south  half  of  this  farm  was  plotted 
and  laid  out  into  lots,  but  none  were  ever  sold  except  three 
or  four  on  the  north  center  road  now  in  the  midst  of  the 
village  proper.  The  rest  of  the  land  was  finally  disposed  of 
in  lots  to  suit  purchasers.  Had  this  scheme  worked  out  a 
large  part  of  the  village  would  have  occupied  the  east  slope 
of  the  hill — a  poor  exchange  probably  for  the  peach  and 
apple  orchards  that  now  cover  it. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  185 1,  the  first  public  exercises  of 
the  students  of  the  Eclectic  were  held.     They  consisted  of 
three  divisions,  one  given  in  the  morning,  one  in  the  after- 
First  Public         noon  and  one  in  the  evening.     The  first 
Exercises.  two   divisions   were   given   in    Mr.   John 

Buckingham's  orchard  almost  half  a  mile  north  of  the  Insti- 
tute building  on  the  north  and  south  center  road.  This  or- 
chard has  been  entirely  destroyed.  It  stood  just  a  little  south 
of  the  old  Packer  farm,  but  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road. 
The  last  division  was  given  in  the  church  at  the  center.  Be- 
tween the  two  first  divisions  a  lunch  was  served  on  board 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1S57.  5 1 

tables  under  the  trees.  The  teachers  and  students  marched 
from  the  building  down  the  north  hill  and  beyond  to  the 
scene  of  the  performance.  Tradition  says  that  Emily  Ford 
was  marshal  of  the  day.  The  exercises  whose  number  would 
terrify  a  modern  audience  were  extremely  crude  and  show 
how  close  to  the  primitive  district  school  were  the  first  ses- 
sions of  the  Eclectic. 

The  immediate  influences  of  the  planting  of  the  Eclec- 
tic Institute  at  Hiram  were  of  a  three-fold  character.   First, 
upon  the  Disciples  at  large — the   "Brotherhood,"   second, 
upon  the  village,  and  last,  upon  the  Hi- 
The  School's        j.^j^  Church.       The    school   at   once   be- 
came popular.     In  the  year  1850  and  51 
there  were  three  hundred  and  thirteen  different  students 
in  attendance.     In   1853-4  this  number  had  arisen  to  five 
hundred    and    twenty-nine.     Seven    states    and    countries 
were  represented  the  first  year ;  fourteen  in  1853-4.*     But 


♦The  following  table  of  attendance  during  the  whole  life  of  the 
Eclectic,  was  compiled  by  Professor  B.  S.  Dean,  in  1894,  for  the 
Hiram  College  Advance: 

table  of  attendance. 


Total 

Total  dif. 

Year. 

1st  Term. 

2d  Term. 

3d  Term. 

by  Terms. 

Stadents. 

1850-51 

102 

147 

60 

309 

*3i3 

1851-52 

181 

233 

89 

503 

410 

1852-53 

211 

226 

205 

642 

529 

1853-54 

166 

236 

188 

590 

523 

1854-55 

262 

201 

138 

601 

445 

1855-56 

235 

215 

177 

631 

494 

1856-57 

[Term  records  missing]. 

440 

1857-58 

260 

175 

230 

665 

487 

1858-59 

302 

194 

200 

696 

502 

1S59-60 

263 

155 

217 

635 

463 

1860-61 

260 

153 

182 

595 

437 

1861-62 

209 

65 

115 

389 

315 

1862-63 

185 

107 

140 

393 

296 

1863-64 

236 

171 

145 

552 

389 

1864-65 

159 

125 

118 

402 

306 

1865-66 

214 

148 

157 

519 

352 

1866-67 

156 

106 

105 

366 

250 

♦Includes  four  terms. 


52  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

this  does  not  indicate  that,  especially  outside  of  the  West- 
ern Reserve,  the  school,  all  at  once,  became  a  great  figure 
before  the  Disciples.  Its  patronage,  at  first,  was  largely 
local.  Its  students  were  mainly  from  Portage,  Summit, 
Trumbull,  Geauga,  Cuyahoga,  Medina,  Ashtabula,  and 
Wayne  Counties.  The  religious  character  of  the  school, 
probably  exercised  some  influence  in  determining  its  pat- 
ronage, but  this  was  not  the  only  influence.  It  was  a  school 
of  higher  grade  and  was  a  long  step  upward  from  the  or- 
dinary district  school.  Its  first  students  were  mainly  from 
Disciple  families  or  communities  where  the  Disciples  of 
Christ  were  most  numerous. 

It  was  announced  that  "the  course  of  instruction  is 
designed  to  embrace  whatever  is  adapted  to  the  developing 
and  training  of  those  under  its  care  for  the  useful  and 
practical  duties  of  life.  The  chief  attention  will  be  directed 
to  the  attainment  of  sound  literature  and  useful  science." 
It  was  also  declared  that  "the  Bible  is  the  foundation  of  all 
the  morality  in  the  world.  It  contains  all  moral  power  for 
the  improvement  and  refinement  of  the  human  race.  Its 
counsels  are  eternal  wisdom.  Its  morality  is  perfect.  It 
cannot,  therefore,  be  hazardous  to  lay  the  Bible  as  the  moral 
basis  of  the  Eclectic  Institute."  The  Bible  was  to  be 
taken  as  the  foundation  of  education,  and  as  a  classic  taken 
into  the  institution.  Every  student  was  expected  to  devote 
a  part  of  each  day  in  the  study  of  the  details  of  hum.an 
history  as  found  in  the  Bible.  But  it  was  explicitly  stated 
"that  nothing  is  to  be  taught  in  this  Sem.inary  under  color 
of  these  Biblical  lessons,  or  otherwise,  partaking  in  the 
least  degree  of  sectarian  character."  Nor  was  it  to  be,  in 
any  sense,  a  Theological  School,  though  it  vv'ould  seek  to 
develop  and  strengthen  the  intellectual  powers  in  subordi- 
nation and  subserviency  to  the  moral  faculties.       Its  aim 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S50-1857.  53 

was  to  make  men  and  women  of  the  youth  committed  to  its 
trust;  good  men  and  good  women,  and  "leave  it  to  the 
finger  of  providence  to  point  out  to  them  the  path  of  use- 
fulness." 

These  frank  statements  concerning  the  scope  and  pur- 
pose of  the  school,  had  a  good  effect  over  a  large  territory, 
and  soon  its  horizon  extended  and  its  influence  greatly  in- 
creased. Alexander  Campbell,  then  President  of  Bethany 
College,  gave  his  endorsement  to  the  enterprise  in  these 
felicitous  words:  "Such  institutions,  well  conducted,  are 
streams  that  make  the  wilderness  and  solitary  place  glad, 
and  contribute  to  the  cause  of  human  redemption."* 

The  planting  of  the  school  brought  to  Hiram  new 
classes  of  people,  who,  in  turn,  helped  to  establish  a  new 
order  of  things.  "What  had  been  a  mere  cross-roads  be- 
came a  small  village."     The  effect  upon 

A.  ^^Gw  carder 

,  _,  .  the    church    at    Hiram    was    immediate. 

of  Things. 

What  had  been  a  very  homogeneous  con- 
gregation became  very  heterogenious, — "a  variety  of  gen- 
eral culture,  critical  acumen,  and  aesthetic  taste."  Some 
of  the  members  of  the  church  as  then  constituted,  never 
appreciated  what  the  school  did  for  them  or  for  the  church. 
They  thought  of  what  it  had  cost  them  in  money  and 
trouble,  and  failed  to  look  at  the  compensations.  When 
the  school  was  given  to  Hiram,  after  the  contest  over  its 
location  had  been  settled  in  her  favor  "there  went  with  the 
act  certain  responsibilities,  peculiar,  heavy,  solemn."  All 
that  has  given  the  name  "Hiram"  power  for  a  lialf  of  a 
century,  flowed  from  that  act. 

The  Church  of  Hiram  has  some  prominent  character- 
istics. "One  of  the  most  prominent  is  stability,  perma- 
nence.    Since  1835,  she  has  kept  steadily  on  the  even  tenor 

♦Millennial  Harbinger,  1850,  p.  473. 


54  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

of    her    way.     She    has    either    steadily 

,.  „.  grown,    or    she     has    firmly    held     her 

ot  Hiram.  °  -' 

ground."  She  has  been  a  conservative 
church.  "Having  steadfastly  set  her  face  as  though  she 
would  go  to  Jerusalem,  she  has  never  swerved  from  the 
'old  paths.'  Hiram  has  never  been  a  hatching  or  a  moult- 
ing ground  for  isms  and  'new-fangled  notions.'  Her  mem- 
bers, as  a  class,  have  not  been  of  those  who  are  tossed  to 
and  fro  and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine. 
Millerism,  abolitionism,  come-outer-ism,  spiritualism,  etc., 
have  not  disturbed  her  peace.  She  grew  in  anti-slavery 
faith  as  the  Nation  grew,  no  faster  and  no  slower;  and 
when  the  shock  of  arms  came,  she  supported  the  National 
Government,  almost  to  a  man."  These  two  qualities,  sta- 
bility and  conservatism,  have  borne  invaluable  fruit. 
"Hiram  has  never  been  torn  by  factions  contending  about 
points  of  doctrine  and  questions  of  order.  There  have 
been  no  exscinding  resolutions,  no  secessions,  no  convuls- 
ing cases  of  discipline.  Conservatism  has  not  excluded 
great  tolerance  and  liberality.  All  along  there  has  been  a 
practical  recognition  of  the  line  separating  faith  and  opinion. 
The  brethren  have  never  been  sound  above  w'hat  is  written. 
It  has  never  entered  their  heads  that  it  would  be  a  good 
thing  to  tear  the  Church  to  pieces  over  the  'organ  question.* 
Nor  have  they  had  any  scruples  as  to  the  rightness  of  co- 
operative religious  enterprise.  Born  of  a  movement  that 
began  in  co-operation,  they  have  never  proclaimed  them- 
selves spiritual  bastards."  This  historic  Church  vindicates 
in  a  very  large  degree  the  grand  "movement"  of  which  it 
is  a  part.  Here  is  a  Church  that  for  sixty-five  years  "has 
gone  on  her  way  without  Articles  or  Rules  of  Order,  con- 
verting the  people,  building  herself  up  in  faith  and  love, 
supporting    the    gospel  at  home  and  abroad,  meteing  out 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  55 

discipline,    and    assisting    in    benevolent    enterprise.     Her 

story  is  an  answer,  clear  and  convincing,  to  those  who,  in 

the  beginning,  said  that  the  principles  of  the   Campbells 

would  lead  to  doctrinal  latitudinarianism  and  ecclesiastical 

disorder.     Whatever  else  the  story  may  be  worth,  it  shows 

that  a  Christian  congregation  can  stand  on  the  Bible  alone, 

without  a  'constitution,'  holding  fast  the  form  of  sound 

words  and  maintaining  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bonds 

of  peace."* 

Of  families  which  came  to  Hiram  at  the  beginning  of 

the  school,  there  were  some  who  became  identified  with  its 

fortunes,  and  were  its  firmest  friends  to 

1^^  rt^  1        the    end    of    their    lives.     Their    homes 
of  the  School. 

were  the  homes  of  the  students  and  their 
kindness  to  them  cannot  be  forgotten  by  a  very  large  circle 
of  the  early  Hiram  fellowship. 

Zeb  Rudolph  moved  from  his  farm  near  Garretts- 
ville  about  1850  and  built  the  house  west  of  the  church 
where  Miss  Rena  Young  now  lives.     Here  he  lived  until 

he  moved  to  his  much  finer  residence, 
^  °  ^  ■  now  Mrs.  Wheeler's,  down  the  hill  on 
the  north  side  of  the  east  road  next  to  Prof.  Wakefield's. 
Delightful  reminiscences  of  a  winter  spent  in  "Uncle  Zeb's" 
family  are  at  hand.  "Uncle  Zeb  had  that  winter  besides 
his  own  family  of  seven  persons,  including  the  hired  girl, 
eleven  boarders.  We  were  packed  in  like  sardines,  and,  I 
think  the  same  conditions  prevailed  in  every  other  house 
in  town  and  out  of  town.  The  board  was  $1.50  per  week 
and  very  good  as  the  Hiram  women  were  most  of  them 
good  cooks  and  Aunt  Arabella  (Mrs.  Rudolph)  was  the 
peer  of  any  of  them.  We  burned  tallow  candles  at  night. 
*****     J  ^^^g  greatly  impressed  with  the  wisdom 


*Historical  Discourse,  by  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  1876. 


56  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

and  learning  of  this  household.  Uncle  Zeb  read  Greek 
and  Hebrew  and  was  in  appearance  a  very  wise  man.  His 
daughter  read  Latin  and  Greek  and  French.  Clarinda 
Hardman  who  was  one  of  my  three  room-mates  wrote 
poetry.  Mr.  Dunshee,  one  of  the  faculty,  who  was  my 
cousin,  boarded  in  the  house.  He  had  graduated  at  Hud- 
son College  and  was  so  important  in  the  family  that  he 
had  a  seven  by  nine  bedroom  to  himself."* 

C.  L.  P.  Reno,  known  to  many  of  the  students  as  Uncle 
Perry,  and  to  most  of  the  townspeople  simply  as  "Brother 
Reno"  moved  with  his  wife  from  Sharon,  Pa.,  about  1853 
and  lived  in  the  large  white  house  on  the 
east  road  where  Professor  Wakefield 
lives  now.  Their  home,  generally  filled  with  students, 
always  liad  an  open  door,  and  the  social  gatherings  there 
from  time  to  time,  were  one  of  the  greatest  sources  of 
pleasure  both  to  the  church  people  and  the  school.  Mr. 
Reno  was  for  many  years  an  elder  of  the  Hiram  church, 
and  it  was  in  the  early  '90's  before  his  tottering  form,  his 
earnest  inquiring  face,  and  his  bald  head  with  its  thin  fringe 
of  gray  locks,  ceased  to  appear  every  Lord's  day  at  the 
church  services.  He  died  November  21,  1890,  and  his  wife, 
February  15,  1896. 

James  Ratchford   Newcomb   came  to   Hiram   from 

Wadsworth  in  1856.     He  bought  the  Harris  property  on 

the  east  and  west  center  road  just  west  of  the  present  home 

of  Mr.  Richard  Hank,  where  his  daugh- 
Jame.  R  ^^^    ^^^   j   ^  ^^y      ^^.^^  jj^^^      ^^^    ^t^^^,. 

Newcomb.  . 

comb    was    a    man    of    great    taste    and 

loved  to  ornament  his  grounds.  He  piped  water  from  a 
large  spring  in  one  of  his  back  fields,  and  no  description 
of  Hiram  village  would  be  complete  that  did  not  mention  his 


♦Recollections  of  Mrs.  B.  A.  Hinsdale. 


PKIXCIPALS  OF    THE  ECLECTIC. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  57 

beautiful  circular  fountain,  often  adorned  with  miniature 
boats.  Sometimes  students,  on  moonlight  nights,  would 
gather  on  the  edge  of  the  big  stone  basin  under  the  circle  of 
evergreen  trees  and  sing  Hiram  songs,  a  practice  still  fre- 
quently indulged  in. 

Timothy    J.    Newcomb — a  distant  relative  of  James 

— came  from   Freedom  some  time  in  the  later  50's.     He 

bought  the  farm  on  the  south-east  corner  of  the  two  center 

roads.  Afterward  he  moved  into  the  house 

„  '™°    {  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Dyson  south  of  the 

Newcomb.  f  j  j 

church.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
preachers  among  the  Disciples  and  well  known  on  the  West- 
ern Reserve.  There  were  several  children  in  the  family 
all  of  whom  were  at  sometime  students  of  the  Institution, 
unless  it  were  an  invalid  daughter  Stata  who  grew  to 
womanhood,  and  became  an  artist.  Part  of  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Mr.  Harry  Leach  was  once  her  studio.  When 
Stata  Newcomb  died  she  left  a  small  fund  to  Hiram  College 
to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  students  who  might  be  situ- 
ated like  herself. 

Thuel  Norton  came  to  Hiram  with  his  large  family 
from  the  south  part  of  the  township.     He  lived  where  Mr. 

Dudley's   fine   house    now    stands,    then, 
Thuel  Norton.         1   ,         •     ,1      1  ,11  r  n/r- 

later,  m  the  house  now  the  home  of  Miss 

Eunice  Ballard.  The  names  of  his  children  and  grandchil- 
dren, appear  in  various  catalogues  of  the  school, 

Holland  Brown  came  to  Hiram  in  1853,  and  lived  in 
the  house  which  Miss  Eunice  Ballard  now  occupies.     Here 

his  daughter,  Mrs.  Jessie  Brown  Pounds, 
Holland  Brown.  1      ^      a  r^,-        -nr        t-.  . 

was  born  August  31,  1801.    Mrs.  Pounds 

occupies  a  high  place  among  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  at  the 

present  time,  as  a  poet  and  prose  author. 

John  Buckingham  came  from.  Howland  in  the  spring 


58  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

of  1 85 1.     He  bought  a  farm  of  John  Young  north  of  the 
village.     The  next  year  he  built  the  large  house,  still  stand- 
ing, on  the  west   side  of  the  north  and 

„     ,  .     ,  south    road    near    the    watering    trough. 

Buckingham.  .  ^  '^ 

This  house  was  considered  a  very  pre- 
tentious one  in  that  day  and,  even  before  its  completion, 
called  forth  a  flattering  notice  in  the  second  catalogue  of  the 
school,  as  one  designed,  "for  friends  and  visitors  to  the 
school  who  may  v.'ish  entertainment."  Among  the  roomers 
at  Air.  Buckingham's  in  1S53  was  a  son  of  Judge  Jeremiah 
S.  Black,  an  eminent  jurist  of  Pennsylvania,  one  of  the 
Judges  of  its  Supreme  Court  from  185 1  to  1857,  and  after- 
Vv-ards  a  member  of  the  Cabinet  of  President  James  Bu- 
chanan, at  first  as  Attorney  General,  and  later  as  Secretary 
of  State.  The  son  was  Chauncey  F.  Black,  who  after- 
ward became  Governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

There  were  otlier  families  that  had  much  to  do  in  prcv 
viding  for  the  life  of  the  school  in  its  opening  years ;  but 
of  them  no  chronicles  have  been  left  within  reach. 

]\Ir.  Orrin  Brown  built  a  hotel  where  Miller  Hall  now 

stands.*     This  hotel  afterward  passed  into  the  possession 

and  charge  of  Mr.  R.  W.  IMerriam  and 
Tlie 

his    family.     The    old    Hiram    House    is 
Hiram  House.  •' 

full  of  associations  to  many  old  students. 
In  the  period  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  social  gatherings 
of  almost  all  kinds,  whether  commencements,  socials,  din- 
ners, or  anything  that  called  for  what  is  popularly  known  as 

"refreshments,"     were     shared     in,     and 

„  ,,     .  aided,  more  or  less,  bv  the  residents  of 

Gatherings.  '_  ' 

the  village.  For  many  years  after  the 
College  period  began,  the  annual  banquet  which  the  Senior 


*The  first  hotel  in  Hiram  was  kept  by  John  Fletcher   Bennett, 
near  the  foot  of  the  first  hil!  to  the  east  of  town. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S5O-1857.  59 

Class  gave  to  the  undergraduates,  was  furnished  by  the 
ladies  of  the  various  families  in  the  village.  Lines  were 
not  drawn  so  strictly  then  as  they  are  now.  Many  of  the 
townspeople  attended  the  banquet,  and,  generally,  the  entire 
Faculty.  This  has  all  ceased  with  the  modern  period  of 
improvement,  and  the  expense  of  the  banquet  becomes  the 
care  of  the  Seniors,  while  the  attendance  is  restricted  to 
the  Class-Professor  and  the  members  of  the  lower  classes. 
The  growth  and  expansion  of  the  school  under  College  con- 
ditions tended  to  do  away  with  the  freedom  and  unconven- 
tionality  of  the  earlier  period. 

Of  all  the  voluntary  student  activities  that  have  origi- 
nated in  connection  with  Hiram,  during  the  period  of  the 

Eclectic  Institute,  or  since  Hiram  College 
The  Rise  of  the  .    1  i-  1     j  1    ,  1 

J  .^  c    •  ^-        was   established,   and  have  become   per- 

Literarj  Societies.  '  .  ^ 

manent  features  of  the  Institution,  none 
have  been  of  greater  strength  to  the  school  and  of 
culture  to  its  students  than  the  Literary  Societies.  The 
oldest  ones  now  existing  took  their  rise  in  the  early  days 
of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  and  have  continued  to  develop, 
with  varying  fortunes  until  the  present  time,  when  they 
stand  the  equal  of  any  similar  organizations  connected  with 
the  Colleges  of  Ohio.  These  are  the  Olive  Branch,  the 
Delphic,  and  the  Hesperian  Societies. 

"The  history  of  Literary  Societies  in  Hiram  may  be 
divided  into  three  periods :   The  Ancient,  the  Mediaeval, 
and  the  Modern.     The  Ancient  period  begins  with  the  In- 
stitution and  closes  with  the  organization 
Different  Periods.         j.^,       7^ii--.i  ■    ^  ro- 

of  the  Delphic  m  the  wmter  of  1853-4; 

the  Mediaeval  period  extends  from  the  close  of  the  An- 
cient to  the  organization  of  the  Institution  as  a  college  in 
1867;  the  Modern  period  reaches  from  the  close  of  the  Me- 
diaeval to  the  present  day.     The  first  was  a  period  of  ex- 

t 


6o  HISTORY    or    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

periment  and  failure;  the  second,  a  period  of  experiment 
and  success ;  the  third,  a  period  of  experiment  and  uncer- 
tainty, with  certain  conclusions  and  a  definite  policy  appear- 
ing very  clearly  toward  the  close."* 

Before  the  Eclectic  Institute  was  founded  the  Literary 
Society  as  a  means  of  culture  had  ceased  to  be  an  experi- 
ment ;  and  when  the  wheels  of  the  new  school  were  fairly  in 
motion,  this  means  of  culture  was  called  in  as  an  auxiliary. 

"The  Eclectic"  was  the  first  society  or- 
The  Eclectic.  .      ,  .     yy.  ,  -^    i      j- 

gamzed  m  Hiram ;  and  among  its  leading 

members  were  Corydon  E.  Fuller  and  James  A.  Garfield,  f 

The  exact  date  of  its  organization  has  not  been  preserved, 

but  Mr.  Orris  Atwater,  who  was  a  member  of  the  school 

during  the  first  term,  says :    "It  dates  back  to  the  first  fall 

term."     It  had  a  short  but  honorable  life,  "and  gathered  up 

into  its  membership  the  most  brilliant  and  promising  male 

students.    It  has  the  credit  of  giving  the  first  Public  Lyceum 

given  in  the  history  of  Hiram." 

On   Wednesday   evening,    September    i,    1852,   a   few 

members  of  the  Eclectic  met  in  the  recitation  room  of  Prof. 

Norman     Dunshee,    and    organized    by 

.,^.,       ^,  choosing  Symonds  Ryder,  Jr.,  President, 

Fhilomathean.  ^   °      -^       _      _    , ,        V 

and  Corydon    E.    Fuller,  Secretary.      At 

that  meeting  were  James  A.  Garfield,  Symonds  Ryder,  Jr., 
Corydon  E.  Fuller,  John  Harnit,  Philip  Burns,  William  D. 
Harrah  and  Ellis  Ballou  Perhaps  there  were  others.  Ad- 
dresses were  made  by  several  of  those  present,  and  it  was 
finally  unanimously  agreed,  "That  we  mutually  agree  to 
??cede  from  the  Eclectic  Lyceum,  and  form  ourselves  into 
a  new  society." 


*This  division  into  Periods  was  made  by  Mr.  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  in 
an  address  at  the  Delphic  Reunion,  in  1875. 

+See  Reminiscences  of  Garfield,  bv  C.  E.  Fuller,  p.  41. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  61 

On  Monday  evening,  September  6,  1852,  the  new  so- 
ciety was  organized  and  called  "The  Philomathean."  But 
the  birth  of  the  Philomathean  was  the  death  of  the  Eclectic. 
It  was  a  strong  society  from  the  beginning.  In  its  first 
membership  were  Henry  B.  Boynton,  Ellis  Ballon,  Philip 
Burns,  John  Encell,  C.  C.  Foote,  Corydon  E.  Fuller,  Ceylon 

C.  Fuller,  William  A.  Faddis,  James  A.  Garfield,  John  W. 
Horner,  John  Harnit,  William  D.  Flarrah,  Salem  P.  Merri- 
field,  Symonds  Ryder,  Jr.,  J.  Carroll  Stark,  and  Charles 

D.  Wilber ;  and  a  little  later,  the  nam.es  of  Orris  Clapp  At- 
water,  Harvey  W.  Everest,  Walter  S.  Hayden,  Joseph  King, 
Sterling  McBride,  O.  P.  Miller,  and  Leonard  Southmayd 
appear  on  the  lists.  The  most  brilliant  period  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  society  was  the  winter  of  1853-4.  Its  meetings 
were  public  and  all  who  cared  to  do  so  attended.  Such 
subjects  as  Secular  History,  Church  History,  Prophecy, 
Phrenology,  Geology,  and  Logic  and  Rhetoric,  were  dis- 
cussed in  twenty-minute  lectures,  by  James  A.  Garfield, 
H.  W.  Everest,  O.  P.  Miller,  Philip  Burns,  Norman  Dun- 
shee,  and  Amaziah  Hull. 

The  Philomathean  Society  made  a  deep  impression  on 
a  great  many  minds.  Orris  C.  Atwater  considered  it  "the 
most  brilliant  society  ever  gathered  on  the  Hill."  Henrys 
M.  James  says :  "It  was  supported  by  what  seemed  to  me 
in  those  days,  a  very  remarkable  body  of  men." 

B.  A.  Hinsdale  says :  "The  impression  made  upon  my 
own  mind  was  quite  as  deep.  Night  after  night  I  climbed 
the  east  hill,  sometimes  in  rain  and  darkness,  to  hear  those 
wonderful  debates  and  lectures."*  The  society  was  short- 
lived and  in  about  two  years  it  ran  its  course.  Its  standard 
of  ability  kept   its   membership   small,   and   when   the  old 

*I  was  in  school  in  the  winter  of  1853-4,  and  mj  enthusiasm  over 
the  work  of  the  Philomathean  Society  was  at  fever  heat.  F.  M. 
Green. 


63  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

members  began  to  leave,  some  for  college  and  some  for 
practical  work,  "the  society  reeled  under  the  blow." 

Other  societies  were  organized  during  these  early  years 

of  Hiram,  but  they  were  too  ephemeral  and  too  w"eak  to 

make  much  of  an  impression  or  to  live 

Other   Societies.        ,  t,    •      i        ji  -1.1      , 

long,  it  IS  hardly  possible  to  even  get 
their  names.  Some  of  them  have  been  preserved,  such  as 
"The  Websterian,"  "The  Demosthenian,"  "The  Junto," 
''The  Washingtonian,"  "The  Meritorian,"  "The  Philoze- 
tian,"  and  "The  Independent."  These  societies  did  not  all 
exist  at  the  same  tim.e,  but  followed  each  other  in  quick  suc- 
cession, were  born  and  died.  None  of  these  early  societies 
"had  any  property  basis,  either  furniture  or  library."  An 
entry  in  the  minutes  of  the  Philomathean  shows  what  prop- 
erty it  was  customary  for  a  society  to  have  in  those  days : 
"On  motion,  the  Secretary  was  instructed  to  purchase  a 
blank  book ;  and  the  Alarshal  five  candlesticks,  two  pairs  of 
snuffers,  and  five  pounds  of  candles."  And  this  was  about 
all  the  equipm^ent  that  any  society  had,  in  Hiram,  previous 
to  the  organization  of  the  Delphic. 

The    Olive    Branch    Literary    Society    was    organized 
under  that  name  January  8,  1853.     There  had  been  an  or- 
ganization known  simply  as  the  "Ladies' 

^,.      „        ,  Literarv   Society,"  which  had  given  the 

Olive  Branch.  '  ■'  .  ^ 

year  before  "The  first  Public  Lyceum 
ever  given  by  the  ladies  in  the  history  of  the  Eclectic."  The 
origin  of  the  name  "Olive  Branch"  is  given  as  follows: 
"There  were  in  the  Society — (the  Ladies'  Literary  Society) 
— at  this  time — (1853-4) — twelve  members  and  when  the 
term  was  nearly  half  finished,  preparations  were  made  for 
another  "Public  Lyceum."  Up  to  this  time  the  Society  had 
not  had  a  printed  programme.  After  much  discussion  it 
was  decided  to  take  a  step  in  advance  and  send  our  pro- 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S50-1857.  63 

gramme  to  the  printer.  It  was  made  ready,  when  someone 
suggested  that  it  would  make  a  better  appearance  if  the 
Society  had  a  more  pretentious  name.  We  sat  around  the 
stove  in  the  north-east  corner  of  this  room  (the  "Chapel") 
one  cold  winter  day  discussing  the  question  of  name,  when 
Mary  Hubbell  said:  "Girls,  let  us  call  our  Society  the 
Olive  Branch."  What  suggested  the  name  to  her  I  cannot 
tell,  but  probably  it  was  the  journal  of  that  name,  published 
by  N.  P.  Willis,  in  Boston.  On  calling  the  house  to  order, 
a  motion  was  made  to  this  effect,  'That  this  society  here- 
after be  known  as  The  Olive  Branch.'  It  was  seconded 
and  carried  without  a  dissenting  voice."* 

On  January  19,  1854,  the  Society  rendered  its  first  pro- 
gramme under  its  new  name.  The  Order  of  Exercises  con- 
sisted of  music,  a  colloquy  on  "Evil  Speaking,"  and  essays 
and  recitations  on  "The  Aboriginal  Inhabitants  of  Amer- 
ica," "The  Divinity  and  Destiny  of  Genius,"  "Astronomy," 
"China,"  "A  Leaf  from  Memory,"  "The  Dark  Ages,"  "Am- 
bition," "Faith,"  "Poetry— Its  Influence,"  "Arabia,"  "Land 
of  Palestine,"  and  "Immortality,"  by  Adelle  A.  Luse,  Sarah 
S.  Lanphear,  Ellen  H.  Wood,  Mary  L.  Hubbell,  A.  A. 
Booth,  N.  E.  Mcllrath,  Sarah  A.  Soule,  Mary  Atwater, 
Sarah  Bailey,  B.  E.  Fisk,  Mary  E.  Turner,  and  W.  A. 
Hayden. 

The  colloquy  on  "Evil  Speaking"  was  written  by  Miss 
Booth  and  the  twelve  members  of  the  Society  took  a  part 
in  it  and  the  young  ladies  signed  a  paper  "pledging  them- 
selves not  to  speak  evil  of  each  other."  Of  the  young  ladies 
who  participated  in  that  first  programme  not  more  than 
three  or  four  remain  to  this  present  and  those  who  do  re- 
main are  bearing  the  white  blossoms  of  age. 

The  "Olive  Branch,"  though  nearly  a  half  century  old, 

♦Mrs.  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  Reunion  Address,  1877. 


64  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

is  frcsli  and  vigorous  as  at  the  beginning.  It  is,  as  it  always 
has  been,  an  adornment  and  a  constant  helper  to  the  literary 
and  social  life  of  Hiram. 

Up  to  1877  its  membership  included  549  names,  to 
which  have  been  added  since  475,  making  a  total  of  1,024. 
And  in  the  felicitous  lines  of  Mrs.  E.  E.  C.  Glazier  in  her 
poem  read  in  1877  at  the  reunion  of  the  society,  this  brief 
sketch  of  a  noble  society  may  be  closed : — 

"And  may  our  Tree  from  off  the  earth 

Its  fruitage  never  cease; 

Forever  and  forever  wave 

The  Olive  Branch  of  peace !" 
The  Delphic  Literary  Society,  or  "Delphic  Lyceum,"  as 
it  was  chartered  May  10,  1862,  was  organized  November 
24,  1854.  As  it  gathered  up  many  of  the  most  brilliant 
essayists  and  strong  debaters  from  the 
societies  that  had  preceded  it,  difficulty 
was  encountered  in  finding  for  it  an  appropriate  name.  It 
was  proposed  to  call  the  new  society  the  Philomathean,  but 
this  proposition  was  opposed  and  abandoned.  The  name, 
"The  Delphic,"  was  proposed  by  Mr.  Thomas  Munnell  and 
this  name  was  adopted.  "Of  course,  it  was  borrowed  from 
Delphi,  the  city  of  the  greatest  oracle  in  Greece."  Among 
its  charter  members,  or  those  who  organized  the  Society, 
were  W.  H.  Coddington,  John  M.  Faddis,  J.  J.  Harrison, 
R.  A.  Gaines,  Thomas  Farley,  R.  J.  Hathaway,  O.  F. 
Hoskins,  H.  J.  Morgan,  Henry  Parmly,  Robert  Moffett, 
B.  F.  Wood,  J.  H.  Rhodes,  H.  Y.  Russell,  A.  B.  Way,  and 
Augustus  H.  Pettibone. 

Robert  Mofifett,  Vv^ho  since  then  has  reached  a  high  and 
honorable  place  as  a  preacher  among  the  Disciples,  was  its 
first  President.  From  the  beginning,  the  Delphic  was  a 
strong,  intelligent,  and  vigorous  society.     During  the  first 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1S57.  65 

term  of  its  existence  it  came  before  the  public  with  a  "Public 
Lyceum."  Mr.  Munnell  presided,  and  the  exercises  occu- 
pied the  afternoon  and  evening.  There  was  the  usual  pro- 
gramme of  exercises.  The  interest  of  the  occasion  centered 
m  the  discussion,  ''Resolved,  That  the  present  circumstances 
of  Europe  furnish  reasons  to  expect  an  essential  ameliora- 
tion of  human  affairs."  This  proposition  was  affirmed  by 
Robert  Moffett  and  Augustus  H.  Pettibone,  and  denied  by 
B.  F.  Wood  and  J.  H.  Rhodes.  The  programme  as  ren- 
dered made  a  profound  impression  on  many  that  heard  it 
and  was  accepted  as  a  prophecy  of  its  future  strength  and 
usefulness.  Its  later  history  has  proved  worthy  of  this  be- 
ginning. 

For  two  years  after  its  organization  "The  Delphic" 
had  no  property  beyond  "the  necessary  candlesticks,  snuff- 
ers, and  the  inevitable  budget  box ;"  but  it  was  the  first 
society  to  fit  up  a  room  for  its  meetings,  and  the  first  to 
own  a  library.  To  J.  H.  Rhodes  belongs  the  credit  for  the 
proposition  "to  paper  and  furnish  a  room  in  a  tasteful  man- 
ner." It  is  said :  That  he  greatly  bewildered  some  of  the 
members  by  saying  "it  was  customary  for  literary  societies 
in  colleges  to  have  elegantly  furnished  rooms  and  valuable 
libraries."  His  proposition  was  accepted  and  a  tax  of  one 
dollar  per  capita  was  laid  on  the  members,  which  with  the 
receipts  from  a  Public  Lyceum,  furnished  the  necessary 
means.  *The  new  quarters  were  fitted  up,  and  though  "plain 
and  tasteful,  they  seemed  quite  gorgeous  in  contrast  to  the 
dreariness  of  the  Lower  Chapel."  The  foundation  of  the 
Delphic  library  was  laid  in  the  year  1857.  At  the  close  of  a 
term  four  or  five  dollars  remained  in  the  treasury  and  some 
one  moved  that  the  money  be  expended  for  books.     Three 


*In  the  present  Physical  Apparatus  Room,  on  North  side  first 
floor. 


66  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

books  were  purchased,  one  of  these  "Pulpit  Portraits;  or 
Pen  Pictures  of  Distinguished  American  Divines,"  by  John 
Ross  Dix.  This  was  the  small  beginning  that  has  greatly 
increased  to  the  present  handsome  and  valuable  library  of 
the  Society.  Its  growth  has  been  slow  since  then,  but  con- 
tinuous and  sure.  Mr.  O.  C.  Atwater  says  in  a  recent 
communication,  "The  last  thing  I  recollect  sharing  in  Del- 
phic matters  was  in  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  select 
and  purchase  our  first  bill  of  books.  They  were  directed 
to  consult  the  teachers  as  to  their  selection.  Several  im- 
portant steps  v/ere  taken — the  founding  of  a  library,  the 
gaining  of  an  evening  at  Commencement  for  Society  exer- 
cises, with  a  charge  at  the  door,  and  the  seeking  of  the  best 
wisdom,  the  school  afforded,  in  the  choice  of  books.  Few 
libraries  have  less  trash  in  them  than  the  Pliram.  Society 
Libraries.  These  steps  in  accumulating  and  preserving 
property  are  all  of  Delphic  origin. 

Up  to,  and  including  1875,  its  membership  contained 
the  names  of  515  persons,  to  which  have  been  added  since 
506,  making  a  total  of  1,031,  at  the  close  of  the  century. 

And  those  now  living  of  its  oldest  and  earliest  mem- 
bership, say  to  its  youngest  membership: 
"Then  here's  to  our  boyhood,  its  gold  and  its  gray ! 
The  stars  of  its  winter,  the  dews  of  its  May! 
And  when  Vv'e  have  done  with  our  life-lasting  toys. 
Dear  Father,  take  care  of  thy  children,  The  Boys/' 
For  over  the  place  the  old  man's  galley  crossed, 
The  boasting  Present  in  the  Past  is  lost.''' 


*The  Delphic  Emblem,  which  hangs  in  their  Hall,  was  painted 
by  Mi^s  Emma  Johnson  (Mrs.  Dean)  in  the  Spring  of  1867.  It  is 
based  upon  a  small  design  that  used  to  be  printed  in  the  Eclectic 
Catalogues,  over  the  list  of  Delphic  members.  The  original  design 
was  drawn  by  Miss  Kate  Stark  (Mrs.  A.  Wilcox)  in  consultation  with 
Mrs.  Garfield.  The  present  Hesperian  Emblem  v?as  painted  by  Miss 
Stata  Mewcomb  soon  after  the  Delphic  Emblem. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  67 

The  Hesperian  Literary  Society,  or  Hesperian  Lyceum, 
as  it  was  chartered  Alay  3,  1862,  was  organized  August  22, 
1855.     Of  its  earliest  membership  not  many  names  have 

been  preserved,  but  here  are  some  who 
The  Hesperian.  1     t.i  j.      i.    -^ 

were,  probably,  present  at  its  organiza- 
tion :  John  Hurd,  W.  H.  Turner,  A.  B.  Curtiss,  E.  B.  Mon- 
roe, Ambrose  Mason,  Frank  H.  Mason,  Basil  G.  Hank,, 
James  Mason,  C.  Harris,  Edward  Allen,  and  Dudley  Bea- 
man. 

The  foremost  men  in  the  Society  at  the  beginning  were 
John  Hurd  "grave,  deliberate,  and  decorous,"  and  William 
H.  Turner,  "intense,  pointed  and  positive."  Its  equipment 
in  property  and  furniture  was  meager  in  the  extreme.  Its 
earliest  condition  was  not  unlike  that  of  its  chief  competi- 
tor, the  Delphic.  "The  gloom  of  the  place  of ,  meeting, 
which  was  a  room  too  large,  by  far,  was  only  aggravated 
by  a  prodigal  display  in  one  corner,  of  four  or  five  candles. 
An  unvarnished  box,  'brown  with  the  umber  of  human  con- 
tact,' was  the  repository  of  dull  conundrums,  local  hits,  and 
pointless  wit,  whence  during  the  evening  the  Secretary  was 
wont  to  dravv^  forth  things,  both  "new  and  old."  This  was 
the  far-famed  "budget-box,"  which  it  required  considerable 
debate  in  after  years  to  abolish.  I  recall  nothing  remark- 
able in  the  exercises  of  the  Society,  during  this  period.*" 
The  chronicles  of  the  Society  and  its  traditions  reveal  the 
fact  that  it  passed  through  several  "wars  of  revolution"  be- 
fore its  evolution  into  the  strong,  energetic,  radical,  and  in- 
tense Society,  "curbed  and  reined  by  the  conserving  force  of 
parliamentary  law  and  usage,"  that  it  afterwards  became. 
During  its  earliest  years  "the  accessions  to  its  membership 
were  from  a  fair  average  of  the  students  of  the  Institute; 
not  always  profound  in  scholarship,  nor  brilliant  in  orator- 

*Judge  H.  C.  White,  in  Historical  Address,  1876. 


68  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE, 

ical  display,  they  yet  became  infused  with  one  virtue  on  be- 
coming members,  a  deep  and  hearty  Society  spirit."* 
Among  the  propositions  debated  as  early  as  1858  was, 
"Roman  Catholicism  is  dangerous  to  the  American  Repub- 
lic, and  ought  not  to  be  tolerated  by  its  laws." 

During  the  spring  term  of  1859,  "the  Hesperian  hall 
was  neatly  painted  and  decorated,  and  adorned  with  a  pic- 
ture of  the  star  of  Hesper,  done  in  oil,  and  presented  to  the 
Society  by  Miss  Kate  Stark,  a  member  of  the  Olive  Branch. 
At  this  time  and  afterward,  the  interchange  of  civilities  be- 
tween the  Olive  Branch  and  Hesperian  was  quite  frequent ; 
the  societies  often  calling  upon  each  other,  during  their  re- 
spective sessions." 

In  the  autumn  of  1859  the  Hesperian  Society  made  its 

jfirst  great  effort  to  found  a  library.     With  the  societies,  as 

with  the  school,  the  "library  question"  was  a  great  question. 

In  the  month  of  November,  1853,  there 

_  .^         ^      ..         was  not  a  single  library  or  book  that  be- 

Library   Question.  ^  •' 

longed  to  the  Institution,  either  directly 
or  indirectly,  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  Bible,  in  the 
chapel.  In  the  winter  of  1854-5,  a  library  for  the  Western 
Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  was,  with  due  ceremony,  inaugu- 
rated, with  "brief  speeches  by  Principal  Hayden,  Mr.  Mun- 
nell,  and  probably  Mr.  Dunshee,  appropriate  to  the  occa- 
sion." In  1858,  not  more  than  eighteen  volumes  comprised 
what  was  called  the  Delphic  Library.  About  the  same  time 
that  the  Delphic  Library  was  established,  "the  Hesperian 
Society  began  to  collect  funds  for  the  purchase  of  books." 
Its  course  was  somewhat  different  from  that  followed  by 
the  Delphics.  Instead  of  using  money,  more  or  less,  that 
might  be  in  its  treasury  from  time  to  time,  in  the  purchase 
of  a  few  books,  it  allowed  time  to  elapse,  and  a  larger  fund 


*Judge  H.  C.  White,  1876. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S5O-1S57.  69 

was  collected,  before  any  books  v/ere  purchased.  And  when 
the  new  Hesperian  Library  was  installed  in  the  Library 
room,  "it  was  decidedly  an  event,  owing  to  the  number  and 
choice  quality  of  the  books  that  \vere  displayed  when  the 
library  was  opened." 

One  of  the  great  controversies  relating  to  the  Hesperian 
library,  and  one  which,  for  a  time,  threatened  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  Society,  was  over  the  question  of  allowing  the 
Delphic  Society  equal  privileges  in  the  use  of  their  books. 
Amzi  Atwater  offered  the  motion  that  created  the  storm. 
He  was  supported  by  H.  D.  Carlton,  H.  S.  Glazier,  E.  B. 
Monroe,  Sutton  Newcomb,  and  others ;  while  the  opposition 
was  led  by  "Jack"  Dille,  supported  by  P.  C.  Reed,  J.  W. 
Nelson,  B.  G.  Hank  and  others.  Only  a  few  members  were 
among  the  doubtful  ones  and  subject  to  persuasion.  The 
argument  in  favor  of  the  proposition  was  based  on  the 
ground — First,  for  friendly  relations  with  our  rival ;  second, 
if  we  grant  them  the  use  of  our  library  they  will  return  the 
favor ;  third,  that  thus  we  shall  have  access  to  a  wider  selec- 
tion of  books,  and  the  societies  will  not  need  to  duplicate 
important  works.  The  opposition  warmly  maintained : 
First,  we  were  independent  of  them  and  wished  no  connec- 
tion, and  we  would  neither  grant  nor  ask  favors ;  second, 
too  much  use  of  the  bocks  vv'ould  wear  them  out ;  third,  the 
many  slights  and  insults  received  from  the  Delphic  Society 
should  be  against  the  proposition.  The  debate  continued  for 
weeks  and  finally  resulted  in  the  refusal  to  grant  the  use  of 
the  library  to  the  Delphics,  by  a  majority  of  one  or  two  votes. 
The  matter  was  reconsidered  at  a  subsequent  term  and  the 
more  liberal  policy  adopted ;  and  the  two  society  libraries 
have  been  of  mutual  value  ever  since. 

Up  to  and  including  1876,  its  aggregate  membership 
had  included  456  persons,  to  which  have  been  added  since, 


70  HISTORY    OF    HikAM    COLLEGK. 

and  including  1900,  531,  making  a  total  of  987.  A  few  of 
those  who  constituted  the  first  membership  of  the  Hesperian 
Society  are  yet  living,  and  of  its  experiences  each  one  says : 

"I  see  the  shadow  of  my  former  self  gliding  from  child- 
hood up  to  man's  estate ;"  and  they  are  glad  to  let  some  of 
its  sunbeams  fall  along  the  life-path  of  their  younger  breth- 
ren, in  whose  "bright  lexicon  of  youth  there's  no  such  word 
as  fail." 

The  historian  of  the  Delphic  Society  in  1875  placed  on 
record  some  observations  which  are  very  interesting  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  later.    He  said:     "Fruit- 

„     .  ,     ...  ^  ful  as  the  ancient  period  had  been  in  les- 

Society  History.  ^  .  . 

sons  of  experience,  some  thmgs  remamed 
to  be  learned.    They  are  these : 

I — There  is  room  in  Hiram  for  only  three  literary  so- 
cieties— two  for  Gentlemen  and  one  for  Ladies. 

2 — The  Gentlemen's  societies  must  be  co-ordinate. 

3 — The  proper  place  for  the  younger  pupils  is  the  Rhet- 
orical Class,  where  they  can  be  under  the  eye  of  an  instruc- 
tor. Such,  no  doubt,  will  be  the  policy  of  the  college  in  the 
future. 

Experience  has  also  taught  another  thing:  The  two 
Gentlemen's  societies  are  never  equal  in  ability  for  any  long 
time ;  first  one  leads  and  then  the  other.  A  society  becomes 
strong;  it  becomes  particular  about  its  members ;  the  young- 
er students  are  drawn  towards  the  other.  As  a  result  tlie 
stronger  society  is  not  recruited,  and  as  its  old  members 
leave,  it  becomes  weak,  while  the  weaker  becomes  strong. 
Then  the  same  process  begins  again,  only  the  societies  have 
exchanged  places.  How  many  times  in  twenty  years  have  I 
seen  this  law  assert  itself!"* 


♦Historical  Address,  1875,  by  B.  A.  Hinsdale. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  7I 

The  following  reminiscence  from  Mrs.  B.  A.  Hinsdale 
will  fittingly  close  the  Eclectic  period  of  society  history : 

It  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  Winter  term  of  1852-3 
that  I  first  came  to  Hiram.  There  was  in  existence  at  that 
time  a  society  called  simply  the  Ladies'  Literary  Society.  I 
attended  its  first  session  for  the  term.  It  met  that  night  in 
the  "Primary,"  now  Prof.  Colton's  room.  I  was  greatly 
impressed  with  its  ability,  and  I  think  now,  as  I  look  back 
to  it  with  my  enthusiasm  subdued  by  the  judgment  of  mature 
years,  that  it  really  had  much  literary  strength.  Miss  Booth 
was  the  controlling  power.  The  Miss  Carltons  and  Clarks 
were  members.  Among  the  younger  members  were  Lucre- 
tia  Rudolph,  Mary  Mason,  Mary  Atwater,  Parintha  Dean, 
and  others  whose  names  I  have  forgotten.  *****  One 
feature  of  the  exercises  was  conversation.  The  theme  one 
evening  was  the  "Life  and  Character  of  Margaret  Fuller." 
Miss  Booth  was  greatly  interested  in  the  career  of  this  noble 
woman,  and  as  this  was  shortly  after  the  publication  of  her 
"Memoirs"  by  Horace  Greeley,  the  story  of  her  wonderful 
life,  so  sadly  terminated,  was  fresh  in  many  minds.  Miss 
Booth  had  this  book,  which  she  took  pains  that  the  different 
members  of  the  Society  should  read.  This  Society  had  given 
a  Public  Lyceum  the  term  before — the  first  Public  Lyceum 
ever  given  by  the  ladies  in  the  history  of  the  Eclectic.  The 
fame  of  this  performance  had  sounded  all  over  these  hills, 
and  far  away  into  the  valleys.  Its  echoes  had  not  yet  died 
away  when  I  came.  From  this  one  and  that  one,  I  gathered 
thoughts,  expressions,  and  incidents  it  had  scattered  so  that 
I  could  write  its  history  to-day  better  than  the  history  of 
which  I  was  myself  a  part.  It  had  published  a  paper  called 
the  "Eclectic  Star,"  and  the  Eclectic  Society,  composed  of 
gentlemen,  of  course,  treated  it  in  this  manner  in  a  paper 
of  their  own: 

"Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  star, 
How  I  wonder  what  you  are; 

Up  above  the  world  so  high, 
Like  a  pumpkin  in  the  sky !" 

An  incident  occurred  at  this  Lyceum  which  shows  the 
authority  of  Miss  Booth  over  the  young  ladies.     Some  one 


7-2  HISTORY    OF    IlIRAM    COLLEGE. 

reported  that  Mr.  Dunshee  had  said,  "Women  have  no 
souls."  Thiis  report  was  made  the  text  of  an  article  called 
"Mahommedanism  in  Hiram."  The  editor  of  the  paper 
began  to  read  this  piece,  which  had  been  smuggled  into  its 
pages.  The  audience  had  listened  long  enough  to  perceive 
the  direction  of  the  thought,  when  Miss  Booth  arose  from 
her  seat,  took  the  paper  from  the  young  lady's  hand,  saying, 
"This  article  has  never  been  submitted  to  the  inspection  of 
the  proper  authority.     Its  reading  can  proceed  no  further." 

In  the  spring  of  1853,  this  Society  gave  its  second  Pub- 
lic Lyceum.  I  have  forgotten  almost  the  whole  programme, 
but  Aliss  Atwater's  subject  was  "The  World's  Fair,"  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolph's,  "Europe  in  the  i6th  Century."  There 
was  a  written  discussion  about  the  utility  of  studying  Greek 
and  Latin.  Miss  Jennie  A.  Gardner  affirmed  that  it  was 
best  to  pursue  these  studies ;  Miss  J^Iary  E.  Turner  denied. 
For  the  latter  young  lady  this  was  a  great  undertaking ;  but 
after  much  anxiety  and  mental  strain  her  room-mate,  Miss 
Wealtha  Ann  Hayden,  said  her  paper  would  do  if  it  ended 
with  a  few  good  sentences  in  addition,  and  as  she  wielded  a 
readier  pen  she  kindly  furnished  them.  Whether  Miss  Gard- 
ner ever  found  this  out  or  not,  I  cannot  say.  I  can  re- 
member only  one  word  in  the  whole  performance,  and  that 
is  "amaranthine." 

The  financial   condition  of  Hiram   College,   from  the 

opening  days  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  to  the  close  of  its  half- 

centur}'-  of  history,  has  always  been  a  cause  for  more  or  less 

solicitude  to  those  who  have  been  depend- 
Financial  ,  .  j    •  4.     ^i  " 

.  _  .  ed  upon  to  raise  and  mvest    the    money 

needed  for  all  purposes.     The  first  Board 

of  Trustees  banked  quite  largely  on  the  faith  they  had  in 

their  enterprise  and  on  those  whom  they  believed  would 

stand  by  themx,  instead  of  a  good  bank  account.    They  often 

builded  by  faith  instead  of  by  sight.    With  about  half  of  the 

money  subscribed,  necessary  to  buy  the  land  and  erect  the 

building,  they  went  on  and  pushed  the  enterprise  through 

its  first  stages,  and  opened  the  school.    It  was  a  courageous 


FRANCIS  MARION   GREEN. 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S50-1S57.  73 

thing  to  do,  but  courageous  men  were  behind  it.  The  West- 
ern Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  was  in  the  hearts  of  many, 
though  their  hands  had  not  yet  been  trained  to  large  liber- 
ality. It  was  a  stock  corporation,  with  the  power  of  perpet- 
ual succession  given  to  its  stockholders  and  Board  of  Trus- 
tees; with  a  minimum  stock  of  seven  and  a  maximum  of 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  as  provided  by  the  charter.  This 
stock  was  divided  into  shares  of  twenty-five  dollars  each. 
It  was  not  until  the  fall  of  185 1  that  the  minimum  stock  was 
subscribed  and  then  the  subscriptions  fell  more  than  three 
thousand  dollars  short  of  the  debt  that  had  been  incurred. 
The  actual  cash  received  into  the  treasury  fell  more  than 
two  thousand  dollars  short  of  the  subscriptions.  Numerous 
solicitors  were  appointed,  but  funds  came  in  but  slowly  and 
in  small  amounts.  In  1852  the  Building  Committee  reported 
that  its  debt  was  about  five  thousand  dollars.  In  the  mean- 
time the  Board  had  contracted  a  new  debt  of  three  thousand 
dollars  to  build  boarding-houses,  and  subsequently  it  bought 
the  Higley  farm  for  about  two  thousand  more.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  period  of  establishment  the  debt,  notwith- 
standing the  sale  of  the  boarding  houses  and  part  of  the 
farm,  was  more  than  five  thousand  four  hundred  dollars. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  enumerate  the  various  plans  which 
were  proposed  for  raising  the  money,  and  which  in  many 
cases  came  to  nothing.  The  entire  debt  was  not  paid  during 
the  lifetime  of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  and  many  times  its 
burden  almost  crushed  the  life  out  of  the  school. 

During  the  entire  lifetime  of  the  school  until  it  became 
a  college,  it  depended  for  its  current  expenses  upon  the 
liberality  of  its  patronage.  It  had  no  endowment  and  if 
any  wills  had  matured  they  had  not  yet  become  available  for 
income.  The  salaries  of  its  teachers  were  paid  by  the  re- 
ceipts from   tui-ion;   and   notwithstanding  the   number   of 


74  HISTORY    OF    HIKAM    COLLEGE. 

Students  this  source  of  income  was  inadequate.     The  tuition 
was  very  low.     In  the  first  sessions  it  was : 

Elements  of  English  $3  •  oo 

Higher  English    4 .  oo 

Higher  Mathematics  and  Languages 5- 00 

In  the  second  year  an  advance  of  fifty  cents  per  term 
was  made  in  all  these  branches,  and  a  small  incidental  fee 
charged.  But  the  average  tuition  throughout  the  seven- 
teen years  of  its  existence  was  only  a  little  more  than  $5.50 
per  term.  No  official  record  exists  of  what  was  paid  to  the 
teachers  at  first,  but  it  can  be  said  that  the  amount  paid  them 
was  very  small.  There  is  a  tradition  that  Miss  Booth  re- 
ceived two  dollars  per  week. 

In  1853  an  arrangement  of  salaries  was  made  as 
follows : 

Principal    ■. $700 

Teacher  of  Languages 450 

Teacher  of  Mathematics 450 

Teacher  of  Natural  Science 400 

Teacher  of  English  Department 300 

Assistant  Teacher  in  English  Department 250 

Teacher  in  Primary  Department 150 

The  next  year  these  salaries  were  slightly  increased. 
But  even  these  small  amounts  were  not  received  with  any 
degree  of  regularity,  and  embarrassing  debts  were  often 
the  result.  In  1855  there  was  a  deficit  of  over  seven  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  this  burden  fell  generally  on  the  teachers. 
Consoling  resolutions  were  frequently  passed  by  the  Board 
of  Trustees  in  favor  of  the  teachers,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  specimen :  "Resolved,  that  a  note  to  Norman  Dunshee 
for  $75.45,  dated  June  18,  1857,  for  balance  due  him  at  that 
time  on  salary  as  teacher,  be  paid  as  soon  as  funds  can  be 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  75 

had  from  the  treasury."  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that 
the  Faculty  page  in  the  catalogues  of  the  Eclectic  show  so 
many  changes,  and  yet,  it  is  a  source  of  no  little  gratifica- 
tion to  know  that  most  of  the  prominent  teachers  remained 
for  many  years  with  the  institution  and  gave  it  a  large  part 
of  the  very  hest  of  their  life  and  work.  These  teachers 
were  animated  by  the  same  spirit,  manifested  by  Mr.  Gar- 
field in  1857,  when  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  he  says  of  his 
return  to  Hiram  :  "I  have  determined  to  do  so,  partly  to  hold 
it  up,  and  I  am  determined  that  it  shall  move  for  one  year." 
And  the  work  that  he  did  during  his  first  term  as  Principal 
is  a  characteristic  specimen  of  the  work  done  by  these  poorly 
paid  but  consecrated  teachers  during  the  period  of  the  "Old 
Eclectic."  He  says :  "We  have  raised  over  four  hundred 
dollars  to  build  a  fence  round  the  Eclectic  grounds.  We 
have  remodeled  the  government,  published  rules,  published 
a  new  catalogue,  and  have  now,  the  fourth  week,  250  stu- 
dents— no  primary — as  orderly  as  clock-work,  and  all  hard 
at  work.  Our  teachers  are  Dunshee,  Everest,  Rhodes  and 
Almeda.  I  teach  seven  classes  and  take  the  entire  charge  of 
the  school  and  its  correspondence  besides.  I  have  the  most 
advanced  classes  in  the  school  and  deliver  the  most  of  the 
morning  lectures." 

Mr.  A.  Teachout,  who  has  been  officially  connected 
with  the  college  since  1867,  and  whose  friendship  for  the 
school  has  never  been  lukewarm  or  cold,  in  a  report  made 
as  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  1890,  has  this  to 
say  concerning  financial  affairs :  "In  that  regard  I  have  to 
say,  that  we  are,  as  we  always  have  been,  struggling  with 
poverty.  But  we  still  manage  to  wear  good  clothes.  If  any 
doubt  that,  look  over  this  building  from  basement  to  gar- 
ret. Then,  take  a  walk  over  to  the  Boarding  Halls,  and,  I 
think,  you  will  say  with  me,  that  if  any  of  the  largely  en- 


76  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

dowed  colleges  can  make  any  better  showing  in  Club  rooms, 
Library,  Museum,  and  Society  Halls,  as  well  as  Boarding 
Halls,  let  them  show  up  and  we  will  compare  notes.  But 
while  v.-c  have  these  elegant  new  buildings,  they  v/ould  be 
almost  valueless  in  this  place,  if  the  school  should  go  down 
as  it  has  sometimes  in  its  history.  Therefore,  the  strictest 
economy  in  the  running  expenses  should  be  observed,  and, 
what  endowment  we  have,  to  produce  income,  should  not  be 
allowed  to  diminish,  no  matter  what  the  emergency,  but 
rather  a  strong  effort  should  be  made  to  increase  it." 

To  the  credit  of  the  Institution  it  may  be  said  that  dur- 
ing the  entire  period  of  its  history,  or  for  fifty  years,  no 
scandals  have  ever  clouded  its  financial  transactions,  no  de- 
falcations in  solicitors  or  agents  have  ever  occurred,  and  no 
serious  mistakes  have  ever  been  made  in  investing  its  funds. 
And  while,  occasionally,  its  creditors  have  been  compelled 
to  wait  a  little  longer  than  was  agreeable  for  what  was  justly 
due  them,  in  the  end,  the  Institution  has  paid  dollar  for  dol- 
lar of  its  obligations,  or  made  with  the  parties  concerned,  a 
satisfactory  adjustment. 

Perhaps  the  most  flourishing  libraries  of  Hiram  Col- 
lege are  those  belonging  to  the  Literary  societies,  but  the 
College  Library  proper  has  attained   a  good   degree,  and 
"greatly  increased"  since  its  small  begin- 
The   Libraries         ^-^^^  r^^  ^|^g  g^j.|^,  ^^^.^  ^^  ^.j^^  Eclectic  In- 

^  ,.  stitute.     As  it  never  has  had  any  official 

patronage,  no  official  records  can  be 
found  concerning  its  foundation ;  but  jVIr.  B.  A.  Hinsdale 
has  furnished  the  following  personal  recollections : 

''When  I  first  Vv'ent  to  Hiram  in  the  month  of  Novem- 
ber, 1853,  there  was  not  a  single  library  or  book  that  be- 
longed to  the  Institution,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  with 
the  possible  exception  of  the  Bible  in  the  chapel.     There 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S50-1S57.  77 

was  a  room  between  the  two  staircases  looking  out  to  the 
eastward  that  was  called  the  'Library'  but  it  was  empty  so 
far  as  books  were  concerned.  This  continued  to  be  the 
state  of  things  until  the  following  year,  that  is,  the  winter 
of  1854-55. 

When  I  returned  to  Hiram  in  the  fall  of  1854,  my  at- 
tention v/as  called  to  a  few  shelves  of  books  in  Esquire 
Udall's  bookstore.  These  I  was  told  were  to  constitute  the 
new  library,  which  now  I  heard  of  for  the  first  time.  In  the 
course  of  that  term  it  was  announced  from  the  chapel  that 
the  library  would  be  duly  inaugurated  at  a  time  fixed,  and  at 
this  time  the  books  were  brought  to  the  chapel,  piled  up  on 
the  breastwork  in  front  of  the  stand,  and  the  dedication 
exercises  went  forward.  I  do  not  know  how  many  volumes 
there  were,  but  doubt  if  there  were  to  exceed  100,  although 
there  m.ay  have  been.  Brief  speeches  were  made  by  Prin- 
cipal Hayden,  Mr.  Munnell,  and  probably  Mr.  Dunshee,  ap- 
propriate to  the  occasion.  The  books  were  then  carried  to 
a  bookcase  with  glass  doors  that  stood  in  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  the  Lower  Chapel.  At  stated  tim.es,  perhaps  once  a 
week,  this  bookcase  was  opened,  and  books  were  drawn  by 
those  who  wished  to  draw  them. 

As  to  the  manner  in  v/hich  these  books  were  provided. 
It  was  stated  at  the  time  that  during  the  term  or  terms  pre- 
vious to  the  inauguration  of  the  new  library,  a  musical 
society  or  class  had  been  organized,  the  members  of  which 
paid  tuition  fees,  with  the  understanding  that  the  proceeds 
were  to  be  applied  to  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  use  of 
the  school.  I  was  not  in  school  at  the  time  that  this  society 
flourished,  and  probably  should  not  have  been  a  member  of 
it  if  I  had  been,  but  I  understood  that  the  instruction  was 
given  by  Principal  Hayden  and  by  Mr.  Gideon  L.  Apple- 
gate,  who  was  a  student  of  musical  talents  prominent  in 


^S  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Hiram  circles  in  thoce  years.  One  set  of  books  that  was 
purchased  with  these  funds,  was  the  British  Essayist,  the 
American  edition,  bound  in  bkck  cloth,  some  of  which,  I 
suppose  are  still  found  in  the  library.  I  think  if  the  fly 
leaves  of  some  of  these  volumes  are  examined,  the  word 
"Atheneum"  will  be  found  written  in  Principal  Hayden's 
hand.  If  so,  I  suppose  the  meaning  to  be  that  this  was  the 
name  of  the  musical  society.  Still  other  books  were  given 
by  individual  donors.  I  may  add  that  it  was  by  the  way  of 
the  volumes  just  described  that  I  first  became  acquainted 
with  British  essayists,  to  the  reading  of  which  I  was  at  one 
time  much  devoted. 

This  library  grew  slowly  owing  to  lack  of  funds. 
Books  were  given  by  teachers,  by  students,  and  occasion- 
ally by  outside  friends.  I  remember,  too,  that  literary  exer- 
cises were  occasionally  given  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
money  for  the  library.  What  is  more,  the  government  doc- 
uments that  have  been  contributed  to  the  Institution  so 
freely  since  General  Garfield's  first  year  in  Congress  always 
found  their  way  to  the  shelves  of  this  library.  Its  growth, 
however,  has  been  very  slow,  for  I  do  not  suppose  the  Board 
of  Trustees  has  ever  voted  a  dollar  for  the  purchase  of 
books.  All  things  considered,  there  is  reason  for  surprise 
that  this  library  has  attained  its  present  size  and  usefulness." 

The  College  library  at  present  numbers  1,538  volumes; 
the  Delphic  1,410;  the  Hesperian  1,121;  the  Olive  Branch 
415;  all  others,  4,322;  making  a  total  of  8,806  volumes. 
These  books  have  generally  been  vyrell  selected  and  are  of 
more  than  ordinary  value.  The  volumes  unclassified  above 
include  catalogued  Public  Documents,  and  the  libraries  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Student  Volunteer  Band,  Natural  History 
Society,  and  the  Aledical  Association. 

No  history  of  Hiram  College  would  be  complete  with- 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1^50-1857.  79 

out  some  reference  to  its  early  commencements.     In  many 

respects  they  were  unique.     They  were  not,  as  in  colleges 

and  universities,  the  occasion  for  confer- 

_  ^^  ^  rine:  deCTees  upon  graduates  for  in  that 

Commencements.  00  i-         o 

sense,  there  were  no  graduates  and  there 

were  no  degrees.  They  were  occasions,  rather,  when  friends 
of  the  Institution  came  from  near  and  from  far,  to  spend 
a  good  day,  to  take  their  children  back  to  their  homes,  to 
give  encouragement  to  the  hard  working  teachers,  to  get  a 
good  dinner,  and  to  hear  and  see  such  literary  wonders  and 
development  as  the  annual  programmes  chrystalized  and 
advertized.  But  little  of  detail  has  come  down  to  the  pres- 
ent concerning  these  events.  Of  the  first  commencement 
Mrs.  Lucretia  R.  Garfield,  in  a  letter  to  Prof.  A.  C.  Pierson, 
dated  April  28,   1900,  writes:  "The  first 

Mrs.  Garfield  s       commencement  exercises  were  held  under 
Letter 

the  apple  trees  of  an  old  orchard  which 

reached  over  the  north-east  corner  of  the  Eclectic  grounds. 
A  stage  was  built  around  one  of  the  largest  trees,  and  dec- 
orated with  whatever  we  were  able  to  get  from  the  scant 
flower  gardens  of  that  time.  Seats  for  the  audience  v/ere 
improvised  in  the  usual  way — boards  resting  on  chairs  and 
blocks.  No  admission  was  charged,  as  the  chief  purpose 
was  to  call  together  as  many  people  as  possible  to  show 
what  we  were  doing.  I  do  not  think  the  audience  was 
large,  still  a  good  many  came.  I  do  not  remember,  but  I 
think  the  music  must  have  been  only  vocal,  as  I  think  there 
.  was  no  music  teacher  or  an  instrument  those  first  two 
terms* 


*The  first  reference  to  instrumental  music,  in  connection  with 
the  school,  is  found  in  a  resolution  passed  by  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
October  14,  1851.  "Resolved,  that  when  lessons  shall  be  given  in 
instrumental  music,  the  Melodean  shall  be  the  instrument  used  for 
that  purpose." 

^  June  20,  1855,  another  resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Board  : 
"  That  the  person  who  has  chari^e  of  the  Seminary  property  be  em- 
pov/ered  to  sell  the  Melodean  for  what  it  will  brino;." 


8o  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COI-LEGE. 

It  was  a  perfect  day,  bright  and  cool,  and  had  you  not 
given  the  date,  'May,'  I  should  have  said  it  was  a  perfect 
day  in  June,  and  we  were  all  in  that  state  of  exaltation 
which  belongs  to  the  beginnings  of  new  enterprises.  The 
women  of  this  community  loaded  a  long  table  with  appetiz- 
ing viands,  and  opened  their  houses  in  the  largest  hospi- 
tality their  accommodations  would  permit.  This  public  table 
became  a  burden  when  it  grew  evident  that  many  came 
merely  for  the  'loaves  and  fishes ;'  and  it  was  abandoned. 
The  memories  of  those  days,  almost  half  a  century  away, 
seem  to  belong  to  another  world  when  the  enthusiasms  and 
ambitions  filled  heart  and  soul.  The  details  of  the  Com- 
mencement exercises  are  entirely  lost  to  me.  I  could  not 
have  told  you  that  I  took  any  part  in  them,  and  don't  remem- 
ber the  subject  of  my  poor  little  essay,  nor  anything  about 
the  'Colloquy.'  Like  a  woman  I  have  a  rather  vivid  recol- 
lection of  the  dress  I  wore — that's  all." 

Not  many  of  the  programmes  of  those  early  Commence- 
ments have  been  preserved,  but  on  such  as  have  been 
brought  down  to  the  present  the  names  of  Lucretia  Ru- 
dolph, Mary  L.  Root,  Elizabeth  A.  Woodward,  Mary  At- 
water,  Eliza  E.  Clapp,  Mary  E.  Turner,  Mary  M.  Bucking- 
ham, Sarah  A.  Harrison,  W.  W.  Hayden,  C.  P.  Bowler,  O. 
C.  Atwater,  John  M.  Atwater,  H.  O.  Newcomb,  Alanson 
Wilcox,  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  W.  L.  Hayden,  H.  M.  James,  and 
many  others,  are  written  large. 

The    last    Commencement    programme 
Commencement      ^^^^j^^  ^j^  ^   5   Havden's  administration 
Programme,  1857. 

presented  the  following; 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  Si 

®r&ec  ot  Bierctses 


1  ESSAY, 

2  ESSAY, 

3  ESSAY, 

4  ESSAY, 


Forenoon 

MUSIC 

Ei.izA  Knowlton,  Eagleville 

Elizabeth  A.  Woodward,  Lordstown 

Sarah  Rudolph,  Garrettsvillc 


The  Unseen 
China 
Petra 
Fine  Arts 


Merinda  a.  Stark,  Garrettsvilll 

MUSIC 

I-."  ,\     „     *  "     Female  Poets  of  America 

Frank  H.   Robinson,  Ravenna 

c    '  ,.'  "  "  A  Dream  of  Youth 

Sylvia  Haven,  5Aa/«rjt;,7/« 

Mary  M.  Buckingham,  Hiram       '  ^"^^^'^^ 

•»t"    „    .   "  *     ,,     '  *     Bayard  Taylor 

Mary  Atwatkr,  Mantua 

MUSIC 

e.„.„    »     TT       "  "  "  "        Gumption 

Sarah  A.   Harrison,  PainesviUe 

Prtv*   TT    r-'      ^   -       The  Eloquence  of  Ruins 

11     DISCUSSION,    ''!'''"  ^:  ''"^^'  ^":'^'« 

Has  the  Bonaparte  Family  been  a  Blessing  to  France? 
AFF.  — H.  I..  MoORE,  Mantua 
Neg.— P.  C.  Rkkd,  Auburn 

MUSIC 

Afternoon. 


5  ESSAY, 

6  POEM, 

7  ESSAY, 

8  ESSAY, 

9  ESSAY, 
10  ESSAY, 


1       »    .  ™  MUSIC 

1     LATIN  SALUTATORY,  .... 

W.    W.  Hayden,  Deer  field 

(^    ry     '  •  Ruins  in  Central  America 

C.  P.  Bowler,  Auburn 

rT  /-.     .  ■  '  The  South  and  Migration 

O.  C.  Atwathr,  Mantua 

Iv    u  't         "       ^     ^   Representative  U&v. 
vv.  H.  Turner,  Troy 

MUSIC 

„"    r\    KT  '     P'"Ogress  of  Mind  in  America 

H.  O.  Nkv/comb, //,>a/w 

"  *  •  •         Water 

A.  Wilcox,  Hinckley 

w    T      "  '  ^^^  Commercial  Equator 

W.  L.   Hayden,  Deer  field 


2  ORATIOxN, 

3  ORATION, 

4  ORATION, 

6  ORATION, 

6  ORATION, 

7  ORATION, 


82  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

8  ORATION, Chivalry 

J.  M.  Atwater,  Mantua 

9  COLLOQUY,     '  The  Jewess,  (from  Ivanhoe) 

PERSON.E    COLLOqiI 

Kinc:  Richard,     O.  C.  Atwater  I       Rebecca,  Delia  L.  Turner 

Ivanhoe,                 A.  B.  Mathews  |        Herald,  B.  H.  Bostwick. 

Grand  Master,         H.  M.  James            1st  Witness,  H.   Woods 

Sir  Albert  Malvoisin,                                2d  Witness,  S.  P.  Wolcott 
J.  M.  Atwater             Higg,  (a  peasant),   P.  J.  Squier 

Sir  Brian  Guilbert,  H.  H.  Mack             Physician,  H.  C.  White 
Robin  Hood,         I.  W.  Ludlow 

Squires  and  Guards 

10     ORATION, 

Unity  of  Purpose — with  the  Valedictory  Address 
H,  M.  James,  Troy 

MUSIC 

Hiram  College  has  always  been  fortunate  in  the  selec- 
tion of  its  Board  of  Trustees.  With  scarcely  any  excep- 
tions the  men  selected  to  manage  its  business  affairs  have 

been  men  successful  in  their  own  busi- 
Board  of  Trustees.  ^  ,  .    ,      ,  ,  ,      ^  , 

ness,  of  high  character,  and  of  command- 
ing influence  in  the  Church  or  community  of  which  they 
were  a  part.  This  is  eminently  true  of  its  first  provisional 
Board  chosen  in  1849,  the  most  of  whom  passed  over  and 
became  the  Trustees  under  the  charter  of  the  Eclectic  In- 
stitute. 

Carnot  Mason  was  long  and  favorably  known  as  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  Hiram.  No  man  was  more  faith- 
ful or  more  useful  in  the  founding  and  support  of  the  school. 

He    did    much    at    the    meeting   held    in 

Aurora  November  7,  1849,  ^o  settle  the 
question  of  the  location  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic 
Institute.  He  v/as  firm  but  not  contentious  in  his  disposi- 
tion. He  was  a  member  of  the  Building  Committee  and 
insisted  on  putting  up  a  good  building,  for  the  reason  that 
it  would  give  character  and  rank  to  the  school.  He  was 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  from  1849  to  1856.  He 
was  an  active,  devoted  Christian  and  faithful  in  all  his  rela- 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  83 

tions  in  life.     He  was  born  in  Vermont  December  i6,  1804, 
and  died  January  31,  1856. 

Symonds  Ryder  had  in  him  the  Pilgrim  blood  and  the 
Puritan  firmness.  He  was  the  lineal  descendant  of  a  Ryder 
who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  In  character  he  was  as 
sturdy  as  the  oak.  He  was  a  man  of 
ymon  >  r.  gQyj-,j  judgment  and  maintained  an  inflex- 
ible character  for  candor  and  righteousness.  Pie  was  a  man 
of  peace  and  cared  strictly  for  his  own  affairs,  and  not  inter- 
fering with  others ;  yet  the  affairs  of  others  sought  him  out, 
and  often  asked  his  skillful  hand  in  their  adjustment.  When 
he  became  a  member  of  the  church  of  Hiram  in  1828  "he 
was  the  most  important  accession  that  the  Hiram  Church 
has  ever  had,  so  far  as  local  results  are  concerned."  His 
judicious  counsels  were  always  appreciated  by  the  Board 
of  Trustees.  He  was  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board  from  1849 
to  i860  and  "in  his  hands  every  penny  was  accounted  for." 
He  was  born  November  20,  1792,  at  Hartford,  Vermont, 
the  same  town  which  was  the  birthplace  of  Carnot  Mason, 
and  died  August  i,  1870. 

Isaac  Errett  was  "a  full-orbed  man."  The  elements 
were  wisely  proportioned  and  mixed  in  him.  During  his 
life  he  was  recognized  as  a  man  of  extraordinary  power  and 
of  surpassing  fulness  of  mental  equip- 
ment. His  father  was  born  in  Ireland, 
his  mother  in  England.  Pie  was  one  of  the  best  friends 
Hiram  ever  had.  He  was  one  of  the  wisest  and  most  capa- 
ble of  its  first  Board  of  Trustees.  At  his  suggestion  the 
name.  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  was  adopted.  In 
personal  appearance  he  was  striking  and  prepossessing. 
He  was  simple  and  direct  in  his  speech ;  his  language  was 
chaste  and  copious  from  his  vocabulary  of  Anglo-Saxon 
words.  He  was  born  in  New  York  City  January  2,  1820, 
and  died  December  19,  i' 


84  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

William  Hayden  was  the  incarnation  on  the  Western 

Reserve  of  the  rehgious  principles  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 

To  his  foresight,  decision,  influence  and  tremendous  energy, 

is  due,  probably  more  than  to  any  other 
William  Havden.  ,  .    .  ,    .  ,     .  .     , 

person  the  ongm  and  foundation  of  the 

Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute.  Years  before  the  en- 
terprise was  announced  he  discovered  the  coming  need,  and 
conversed  upon  it  with  persons  who  were  in  his  intimate 
counsels.  After  his  death  in  1863,  his  associates  in  the 
Board  of  Trustees  placed  on  record :  "To  him  this  Institu- 
tion owes  its  existence  and  present  prosperity."  He  v/as 
the  first  '"solicitor"  or  financial  agent  of  the  nev/  school ; 
and  one  of  its  trustees  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  June  30,  1799,  and  died  April  7, 
1863. 

Zeb  Rudolph  was  a  man  of  rare  qualities  physically, 
mentally,  morally,  and  to  the  end  of  his  long  life  he  sus- 
tained a  blameless  reputation.  He  was  a  pillar  of  truth, 
justice  and  honor  wherever  he  appeared, 
u  o  p  .  j^  ^j^^  earliest  counsels  of  the  Eclectic  he 
was  wise  in  judgment  and  efficient  in  action.  He  was  the 
first  Secretary  of  the  Board,  and  a  member  of  the  Building 
Committee,  and  a  workman  in  the  construction  of  the  build- 
ing. He  was  loved  and  venerated  by  all  who  knew  him  in 
his  mature  years.  He  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1803,  and 
died  October  20,  1897. 

Frederick  Williams,  though  a  native  of  ^lassa- 
chusetts,  was  long  a  prominent  citizen  of  Portage  Coimty, 
Ohio.  He  was  actively  identified  with  church  and  educa- 
tional affairs  for  many  years.     He  was 

^,^.,,.  one  of  the  first  Board  of  Trustees  of  the 

Williams. 

Eclectic  Institute  and  remained  a  member 
of  that  body  until  1863.     On  his  retirement  his  associates 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1S5O-1S57.  85 

said :  "We  lose  one  from  our  number  whose  earnest  interest 
and  zeal  commend  his  example  as  worthy  of  imitation  by- 
each." 

On  Tuesday,  November  9,  1858,  he  offered  the  first 
resolution,  and  which  was  unanimously  adopted,  that  re- 
sulted several  years  later,  in  changing  the  name  and  char- 
acter of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  to  Hiram 
College.  He  was  also  appointed  on  a  committee  consisting, 
besides  himself,  of  Zeb  Rudolph  and  James  A.  Garfield,  "to 
inquire  into  the  expediency  of  providing  for,  and  introduc- 
ing measures  to  commence  a  theological  class." 

He  was  born  in  Warwick,  Massachusetts,  March  2, 
1799,  and  died  at  Ravenna,  Ohio,  January  10,  1888. 

Aaron  Davis  was  one  of  the  first  Board  of  Trustees, 

and  a  man  of  decided  influence  in  that  body.     He  was  one 

of  the  first  agents  employed  by  the  Trustees  to  solicit  funds 

for  the  new  institution ;  and  was  asked 
Aaron  Davis.  .  ,     ,,  ,       •      1  • 

to  spend  as  much  tune  as  shall  be  m  his 

power,  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio."  He  was  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent judgment  and  keen  business  sagacity,  all  of  which 
he  used,  for  the  time  being,  in  the  interest  of  the  school  of 
which  he  Vv-as  one  of  the  incorporators.  He  was  the  leading 
member  of  the  committee  of  five  which  was  appointed  at 
the  delegate  meeting  in  Ravenna,  Wednesday,  October  3, 
1849,  "to  visit  all  places  which  solicited  the  location  of  the 
school,  to  investigate  and  compare  the  grounds  of  their  re- 
spective claims,  and  report  at  the  next  delegate  meeting, 
when  the  question  of  location  was  to  be  decided."  He  al- 
ways stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  neighbors  and  friends 
in  the  church  and  community. 

He  was  born  April  23,  1809,  in  Washington  County, 
Pa.,  and  died  in  Cortland,  Ohio,  March  6,  1895,  at  the  age 
of  86  years. 


86  HISTORY    OP    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

JoHx   Anson  Ford  was  the  Burton  member  of  the  first 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute.    The  Fords  were  the  pioneers  in  Burton,  the  founders 
of  its  society,  and  leaders  in  all  its  benev- 
John  Anson         ^j^^^    ^^^    educational    enterprises.     He 
Ford.  •  ,     ,  •  r  ^ 

came  with  his  parents  from  Connecticut 

into  Ohio  in  1807.  He  was  a  farmer  who  quietly  and  suc- 
cessfully pursued  "his  chosen  avocation  till  a  competence 
enabled  him  to  retire  partially  from  active  work."  His  as- 
sociates recognized  in  him,  a  man  firm  in  purpose,  benevo- 
lent in  his  impulses  and  practice,  a  thoughtful  man,  candid 
and  wise.  Such  a  character  could  not  have  other  than  great 
influence  over  his  fellow  men. 

He  was  born  in  Connecticut  September  18,  1798,  and 
died  at  Wilmington,  Illinois,  June  23,  1878. 

William  W.  Richards  was  one  of  Hiram's  earliest 
friends  and  business  managers.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four 
he  came  from  the  State  of  New  York  and  settled  in  Solon, 
Ohio,  where  for  many  years  he  was  a  suc- 
Wiiham  W.  cessful  farmer.  He  was  a  valuable  citi- 
zen. In  personal  appearance  he  was  tall 
and  manly.  He  was  kind-hearted  and  just  in  his  business 
transactions.  As  a  Christian  he  was  held  to  be  a  pillar 
in  the  church,  in  which  he  held  a  useful  membership  for 
m.any  years. 

He  was  born  in  Columbia  New  York,  August  14,  1809, 
and  died  at  Newburgh,  Ohio,  September  25,  1871. 

George  King  was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of 

Trustees.     His    home    was    in    Chardon.     He    came    from 

Connecticut  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old.     The  family 

came  the  long  journey  with  teams  of  oxen 

George  King.       ^^^  horses.     The  leading  qualities  of  his 

character  were  "strength  of  will,  energy,  moral  integrity, 


THE    PERIOD    OP    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  87 

and  individual  perseverance."  He  was  slow  to  touch  new 
things,  but  when  he  decided  he  was  firm  and  unyielding. 
He  was  always  a  good  counselor  and  his  memory  is  fondly 
cherished  where  he  lived  so  long. 

He  was  born  in  Suffield,  Connecticut,  October  20,  1793, 
and  died  at  Chardon,  O.,  June  8,  1862. 

Ambrose  Latin  Squle  was  a  man  of  extraordinary 
personality.  In  every  way  he  was  a  remarkable  man. 
Physically  he  was  full  six  feet  three  inches  in  height,  and 

finely     proportioned.     His     countenance 
Ambrose  Latin  ...         .     ,  ^        ^    1  11 

„     .  was  mud  and  pleasant,  yet  clean  and  clear- 

cut.  He  was  by  nature  a  leader  of  men, 
and  "never  so  much  at  ease  as  when  in  the  management  of 
great  business."  He  was  hospitable  and  social,  genial  and 
gentlemanly,  and  yet  never  forgot  to  be  the  dignified  man. 
He  was  a  sincere  Christian,  and  as  benevolent  and  enter- 
prising for  the  promotion  of  the  cause  of  true  religion  and 
humanity  as  for  temporal  concerns.  "The  first  meeting 
ever  held  to  consult  on  the  founding  of  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute was  at  the  instance  and  at  the  residence  of  A.  L.  Soule. 
It  was  at  a  yearly  meeting  in  Russell  in  1849.  Mr.  Soule 
was,  himself,  chairman  of  the  meeting;  and,  here,  in  the  par- 
lor of  Latin  Soule's  mansion,  the  purpose  took  definite  form, 
and  from  that  time  proceeded  to  the  completion  of  the 
cherished  purpose." 

He  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  New  York,  May  24, 
1801,  and  died  <it  Muir,  Michigan,  June  24,  1857. 

Jefferson  Harrison  Jones  is  the  only  one  yet  living 
of  the  honorable  and  remarkable  body  of  men  who  formed 
the  first  Board  of  Trustees,  provisional  and  permanent,  of 
,  „  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic   Institute. 

Jefierson  Harrison     tt  ^i  r     zt  r 

-  He  was  then  a  young  man  of  30  years  or 

age  and   in  the  full  vigor  of  a  splendid 

physical,  mental  and  moral  equipment.     At  the  beginning 


SS  HISTORY    OF    IiIRAM    COLLEGE. 

he  was  a  sincere  friend  to  the  new  enterprise,  and  to  this 
day  he  has  never  faltered  in  his  interest.  For  67  years  he 
has  been  a  minister  of  the  Word  of  God.  At  present,  he  is 
hving  in  the  serene  glow  of  his  long  and  useful  life,  at 
Mount  Union,  Ohio. 

He  was  born  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  June  15,  1S13. 

Samuel  Church  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the 
Eclectic  Institute.  He  was  from  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  a  busi- 
ness man  as  well  as  a  preacher.     His  parents  were  from 

Ireland  and  came  into  Lancaster  County, 
Samuel   Church.       t-i  1         •        •         ^   <r       tt 

Pennsylvania,  m   1790.     He  was  a  man 

of  unusual  business  ability  and  became  wealthy.  His  life 
was  full  of  benefactions.  He  bore  the  principal  expenses 
for  the  education  of  William  Baxter,  at  Bethany  College. 
He  was  a  Christian,  in  business,  in  education,  in  living — • 
everywhere.  He  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  February  5, 
1800,  and  died  at  the  Astor  House,  New  York  City,  De- 
cember 7,  1857. 

-    Kimball  Porter  was  a  business  man  of  large  experi- 
ence in  Wooster,  Ohio.     For  many  years  he  was  an  elder  in 

the    Church   of   Christ   in   that   city.     In 
Kimball    Porter.  01  l  r  xi.      • 

1849  '^^  ^'^'^^  chosen  as  one  01  the  mcor- 
porators  of  the  Eclectic  Institute.  He  was  a  good  m.an 
and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

He  was  born  July  4,  1803,  in  Lee,  Massachusetts,  and 
died  June  27,  1863,  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

George  Pow  was  born  in  England,  and  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  parents  when  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Albany,  New  York.  He  after- 
wards came  to  Mahoning  County,  Ohio, 
eoxge  o^.  -^vhere  he  lived  the  rem.ainder  of  his  life. 
As  a  man  he  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  Though 
a  farmer,  "he  was  a  reader,  a  scholar  by  self-culture,  and 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    185O-1857.  89 

a  linguist  of  no  mean  attainments."  He  was  a  man  of 
great  firmness,  clear  thought,  superior  judgment,  candid 
and  conscientious.  The  oldest  record  that  has  been  pre- 
served of  the  delegate  meeting-  held  in  Hiram  December  20, 
1849,  is  that  which  announced  him  as  one  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  "to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  delegates"  in  that 
meeting. 

He  was  born  in  England  December  6,  1800,  anJ  died 
March  14,  1871. 

These  represent  "the  men  who  did  for  Hiram  some- 
thing first,  that  it  might  be  afterward  able  to  do  more  for 
itself."  The  Board  of  Trustees,  thus  personated,  were  a 
harmonious  body  of  men.  So  far  as  the  records  show,  their 
action  on  all  matters  of  importance  was  unanimous.  It 
could  not  well  have  been  otherwise,  for  they  were  all  work- 
ing for  the  same  end,  and  controlled  by  the  same  great 
principle. 

During  the  period  of  A.  S.  Hayden's  administration, 

or  from  July  15,  1850,  to  June  17,  1857,  Carnot  Mason  held 

the  office  of  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  six  years 

and  Alvah  Udall   for  one  year.     These 

Presidents  ^^^^    ^^^    j^^j^    ^j^^^    ^^^^    ^^^    ^^^    ^^^^^^ 

of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,    lifetime  of  the  Eclectic.     Mr.  Udall  held 

the  office  longer  than  any  other  person ; 
his  service  beginning  in  1856  and  ending  in  1880.  In  that 
position  he  never  had  a  superior  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
he  ever  vvill  be  surpassed  in  all  the  qualities  necessary  for 
the  office. 

The  financial  agents,  or  solicitors  as  they  were  gen- 
erally called,  were  quite  numerous  during  this  period. 
William   Hayden   was   the   first  one   chosen.     Afterwards 

_.        ...  Horace    Dutchin,    Calvin    Smith,    J.    H. 

Financial  Aeents.       t  a  t->,      •       t->  /-i        •        o 

Jones,  Aaron   Davis,   Deacon  Lhapm,  b. 

R.  Willard,  Symonds  Ryder,  Charles  Brown,  J.  A.  Ford, 


90  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

A,  B.  Green,  Frederick  Williams,  Brown  Penniman  and 
Warren  A.  Belding  were  chosen  for  the  same  purpose,  and 
often  several  of  them  were  operating  at  the  same  time. 
They  had  the  usual  fortune  of  such  agents — a  varying  suc- 
cess. It  cannot  now  be  told  which  was  the  most  valuable. 
It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Belding  secured  more  cash  and 
pledges  than  any  other.  He  was  in  the  field  longer  than 
any  other  agent,  and  had  rare  qualifications  for  such  work. 
No  serious  attempt,  if  any,  was  made  during  this  period  for 
an  endowment  fund.  What  was  raised  was  needed  for 
current  expenses,  and  a  debt  created  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Institution,  was  not  satisfied  during  the  time  of  the 
Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute. 

Symonds  Ryder  was  Treasurer  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  from  his  first  election  in  1849  ^^^^^  i860,  and  no 
man  ever  was  more  faithful  in  the  dis- 
charge of  the  duties  of  a  like  trust. 

In  many  respects  Mr.  Kayden's  administration  had 
been  eminently  successful.  He  had  been  very  fortunate 
in  the  choice  of  teachers  associated  with  him  in  class  room 
and  management.  His  honorable  char- 
Close  of  the         acter   had   deeply   impressed   itself  upon 

.  ^    .  .  ,     .  the  school  and  its  patrons.     His  wide  ac- 

Administration.  ^ 

quaintance  as  preacher  and  educator  had 
greatly  enlarged  the  horizon  of  the  Institution.  But  it  soon 
became  apparent  that  his  growth  in  the  qualities  of  leader- 
ship was  not  increasing  with  the  growth  and  widening  in- 
fluence and  patronage  of  the  school.  Dissatisfaction  was 
expressed  by  many  of  its  oldest,  best  and  most  intimate 
friends.  In  some  cases  the  teachers  who  had  entered  the 
class  rooms  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  unknown  except  to  a 
very  Hmited  number  had  passed  their  Principal  in  scholar- 
ship and  in  administrative  ability.     Miss  Booth,  one  of  the 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  9I 

greatest  teachers  the  school  ever  had,  in 

Miss  Booth's  .   ^^       ^  r  •      j      a        1      ^       o--         -j 

,    .         ,  a  letter  to  a  friend,  April  13,  1855,  said: 

Judgment.  ^  ^         ^^ 

"I  cannot  see  very  clearly  what  fate  has 

in  store  for  the  Eclectic,  but  surely  it  will  be  a  great  over- 
sight to  allow  it  to  remain  in  its  present  position."*  In  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Garfield  while  a  student  at  Williams  College, 
in  February,  1856,  Miss  Booth  said:  "Brother  Hayden 
thinks  you  are  morally  bound  to  come  back  here,  but  I 
think  the  moral  obligation  resting  upon  him  is  quite  as 
strong  to  give  up  the  management  to  you  if  you  do  come. 
I  know  you  can  never  endure  to  work  under  him,  for  it  is 
ten  times  as  irksome  to  me  as  it  was  before  I  went  away. 
James,  would  you  risk  to  come  here  and  see  what  you  can 
do  with  the  school?  It  certainly  is  a  good  location,  and  I 
know  you  would  succeed,  if  you  were  not  embarrassed  by 
dictation  or  management."* 

Others  expressed  themselves  in  an  equally  radical  way. 
Mr.  Hayden  could  not  help  seeing  the  trend  of  things  and 
wisely  on  May  20,  1857,  offered  "his  resignation  as  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Institute,  to  take  effect  at  the  end  of  the  pres- 
ent term,"  to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  "which  was  read,  con- 
sidered and  accepted."  The  Board  of  Trustees  on  motion 
of  Dr.  M.  Jewett,  "Resolved,  that  the  thanks  of  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  be  tendered 
to  A.  S.  Hayden  for  the  faithful  and  efficient  manner  in 
which  he  has  fulfilled  the  arduous  duties  while  acting  as 
Principal  of  the  Institute."  June  18,  1857,  closed  Mr.  Hay- 
den's  relation  to  the  Institution  as  Principal.  In  his  fare- 
well words  he  said  in  part:  "The  Insti- 

Mr.  Hayden's       tution  was  founded  in  the  year  18=50,  and 
Farewell  ^    ' 

is  now  completing  seven  full  years  of  its 

history.     Since  the  day  it  was  opened  it  has  progressed 
♦Reminiscences  of  Garfield,  bj  C.  E,  Fuller,  p.  186;  p.  217. 


92  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Steadily  and  rapidly  in  numbers  and  public  favor.  The 
number  of  students  for  the  last  few  years  has  been  from 
two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  in  constant  attend- 
ance. They  are  drawn  from  half  the  counties  of  this  state, 
from  thirteen  or  fourteen  of  the  other  states,  and  from 
Canada."  *  *  "  "It  is  a  leading  object  of  the  Institute 
to  impart  thorough  instruction  in  the  elementary  branches 
of  an  English  education.  It  is  determined,  therefore,  to  be- 
stow constant  and  careful  attention  upon  this  department. 
Yet  this  is  not  a  mere  English  or  Normal  school.  Few  col- 
leges in  the  west  cultivate  more  successfully  the  study  of 
the  Classics,  including  Hebrew,  French  and  German,  than 
does  this  Collegiate  Seminary.  It  encourages  no  hot- 
house scholarship.  It  would  secure  the  inestimable  ad- 
vantages of  a  correct  education  by  a  due  and  proportionate 
attention  to  all  its  departments." 

"A  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  is 
the  morning  lecture  on  Sacred  History.  This  is  found  to 
be  not  only  highly  engaging  and  instructive,  but  likewise  so 

to  impress  the  students  with  correct  moral 
Morniner  Lectures.  •      •   i  j        ^i  •    i  .         j 

principle,  under  the  weight  and  sanction 

of  Divine  authority,  as  to  result  in  the  happiest  conse- 
quences of  good  order  and  upright  behavior."  *  *  *  * 
"At  the  close  of  this  session  terminates  my  connection  with 
the  Eclectic  Institute.  I  retire  from  these  responsible 
duties  v/ith  gratifying  recollections  of  all  the  principal  events 
of  its  history.  I  cherish  the  kindest  personal  regards,  and 
warmest  attachments  of  friendsnip  towards  all  the  teachers 
and  aids  who  have  co-labored  in  raising  the  Institution  to 
its  present  enviable  position  in  the  confidence  of  the  public. 
For  seven  years  I  have  watched  with  anxious  solicitude 
the  establishment  of  the  great  principles  of  order  and  mor- 
ality, which,  it  is  trusted,  are  yet  to  carry  it  to  a  higher  po- 


THE    PERIOD    OF    ESTABLISHMENT,    1850-1857.  93 

sition  of  far  greater  influence.  Other  important  duties  in 
the  Kingdom  of  God  press  upon  me.  And  having  filled  up 
the  full  measure  of  time  anticipated  by  myself  in  acceptin;^ 
the  appointment;  without  the  abatement  of  jot  or  tittle  of 
my  anxious  interest  for  its  prosperity;  with  entire  harmony 
of  feelings  towards  the  present,  experienced  and  very  able 
Board  of  Instructors,  I  commend  the  Institution  to  the  dis- 
criminating and  generous  public.  I  am  happy  to  assure  the 
friends  of  the  Institution  that  it  is  to  continue  under  the 
managen^.ent  of  the  present  highly  accomplished  Board  of 
Teachers,  so  fully  acquahited  with  its  spirit,  and  the  wishes 
of  its  numerous  patrons.  Every  department  is  fully  pro- 
vided for.  They  have  appointed  J.  A.  Garfield,  Chairman 
of  the  Board,  through  whom  the  correspondence  of  the  In- 
stitute may  be  conducted.  To  God  be  all 
Benediction.  .  •       c         n    1  1  •    ,  , 

the  praise  for  all  the  good  it  has  wrought ; 

and  may  the  riches  of  His  grace  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord 
fall  upon  it  like  the  dews  on  the  mountains  of  Zion,  that  it 
may  prove  an  exhaustless  fountain  of  truth  and  goodness 
among  men." 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Hayden  was  elected  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees  and  served  in  that  office  until  the  Institution  be- 
came a  College  in  1867.  From  this  time  he  ceased  to  be 
an  active  participant,  either  as  counselor 
or  administrator,  for  the  school,  whose 
interests  had  commanded  the  best  of  his  heart  and  life  dur- 
ing all  the  years  of  its  inception,  poverty,  peril  and  pro- 
gress. And,  whatever  credit  may  be  given  to  others  who 
followed  him,  for  the  success  of  the  Institution  whose  foun- 
dation he  helped  to  lay,  his  name  cannot  be,  and  will  not  be 
forgotten. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Eclectic   Ixstitute — The   Garfield  Administra- 
Tiox — 1857-1863. 

History,  it  has  been  said,  has  its  foreground  and  its 
background,  and  it  is  principally  in  the  management  of  its 
perspective  that  one  artist  differs  from  another.  Some 
events  must  be  represented  on  a  large  scale,  others  dimin- 
ished. The  great  majority  will  be  lost  in  the  dimness  of  the 
horizon,  and  a  general  idea  of  their  joint  effect  will  be  given 
by  a  few  slight  touches.  Such  must  be  the  case,  in  a  degree, 
concerning  the  period  in  the  history  of  Hiram  College,  now 
to  be  considered. 

When   Mr.   Playden   offered   his   resignation   ]May   20, 
1857,  and  it  had  been  accepted  by  the  Board  of  Trustees,' 
"It  was  resolved,  that  the  present  teachers  of  the  Institu- 
tion be  constituted  a  Board  of  Education, 
Board  ^.^   conduct  the  educational   concerns   of 

the  school,  subject  to  the  counsel  and  ad- 
vice of  the  Board."  This  board  of  instruction  which  con- 
sisted of  James  A.  Garfield,  Norman  Dunshee,  H.  W.  Ever- 
est, J.  H.  Rhodes,  and  Almeda  A.  Booth,  made  Mr.  Gar- 
field its  chairman,  and  he  was  so  published  in  the  catalogue 
of  1856-57.  By  this  action  he  became  Principal  in  fact 
though  not  in  name.  The  next  year  he  became  Principal 
in  name  as  well.  From  this  time  onward 
Garfield  ^^^^.j  ^g^g  .^j^  ^^^^  appears  annually  in 

becomes  Principal-  ...  , 

the  catalogues,  either  as  rrmcipal  or  ad- 
visory Principal  and  Lecturer,  with  the  exception  of  the 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1S57-1863.  95 

year  1864.  After  his  service  as  Principal  and  Teacher 
ceased,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and 
remained  such  until  his  death  in  1881. 

Mr,  Garfield  came  to  Hiram  in  185 1,  and  entered  as  1 
student  in  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  August 
25  of  that  year.     From  that  time  until  he  removed  his  fam- 
The  ily  to   Mentor   in    1877,   Hiram   was   his 

Hiram  History       home.     Great    as    the    temptation    is    to 
of  Garfield.         reach  out  into  his  life  as  soldier,  states- 
man and  President  of  the  United  States,  the  history  here 
given  must  be  mainly  that  in  which  Hiram  is  the  center. 
When  he  came  to  Hiram  in  185 1  he  lacked  a  few  months  of 
His  being    twenty    years    of    age.     He    was 

Personal  strong,  broad  shouldered  and  substantial, 

Appearance.  with  a  large  head  and  bushy,  light  brown 
hair.  His  features  were  plain  but  manly  and  sensible.  For 
so  young  a  man  his  character  was  strongly  marked  by  un- 
flinching principle  and  "illimitable  common  sense."  He  had 
in  him  the  instincts  of  a  gentleman,  though  his  manners 
were  not  polished  or  elegant.     He  was  always  polite  and 

courteous  but  his  politeness  and  courtesy 
His  Courtesy.  ...  1        i.      r        1 

were  matters  of  principle  and  not  of  pol- 
icy. He  was  moved  in  his  intercourse  with  men,  not  by 
the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  drawing-room,  or  exquisite 
society,  but  by  the  rules  that  are  fundamental  to  a  true 
Christian  character.  There  was  a  genial  kindly  look  in  his 
blue  eyes,  which  every  one  felt  who  came  in  contact  with 
him,  and  yet  a  certain  dignity  which  always  commanded 
respect ;  but  on  occasion  his  mild  blue  eyes  "blazed  like 
battle  lanterns  lit."     During  two  terms  at  Hiram  he  was 

janitor  of  the  building;  and  he  made  the 

fires,  swept  the  floors  and  rang  the  bell 
and   Mr,    Corydon   E.    Fuller,   one   of   his    most   intimate 


96  HISTORY    OK    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

friends,  says:  "My  first  distinct  recollection  of  him,  was 
within  a  day  or  two  after  the  opening  of  the  term  August  25, 
185 1,  as  he  stood  in  the  hall  grasping  the  bellrope  to  signal 
the  change  of  classes ;  his  clothing  was  of  material  then 
known  as  Kentucky  jeans,  and  his  arms  to  the  elbows  were 
protected  by  sleeves  of  calico." 

His  first  term  at  the  Eclectic  closed  November  14,  1851, 
and  so  rapid  had  been  liis  progress,  that  at  the  "public  exer- 
cises" with  which  the  term  closed,  Air.  Garfield  pronounced 
the  valedictory  oration.*     Only  the  first 

„  '  and  last  paragraphs  of  this  oration  are 

here  given :  "Felloiv  Students,  the  time 
has  at  length  arrived  when  our  connection  with  this  insti- 
tution and  with  each  other,  as  seekers  of  knowledge,  is  about 
to  terminate,  at  least  for  a  season.  It  is  fitting  that  we  take 
a  retrospective  view,  and  consider  for  a  few  moments  that 
series  of  events  which  is  now  about  to  close."  *  *  *  "Jn 
all  the  various  relations  we  have  sustained  to  each  other 
there  has  been  hardly  a  jarring  note  to  interrupt  the  har- 
mony of  our  intercourse.  We  part.  Never  again  shall  we 
all  meet  on  these  mundane  shores.  We  go  and  soon  are 
scattered  o'er  the  earth.  Death  does  his  work  and  we  sink 
down  into  his  dark  domains.  Shall  we  there  rest  while 
endless  ages  roll?  Shall  morning  never  dawn  upon  that 
dreamless  sleep?  Religion  holds  the  lamp  at  Death's  dark 
threshold  and  lights  the  passage  through  its  gloomy  shades. 
We'll  pass  its  dusky  portals — eternity  bursts  in  upon  our 
view — and  there  around  the  throne  of  God  we'll  meet  to 
part  no  more." 

In  the  winter  of  1852  he  taught  his  last  district  school. 
This  was  in  Warrensville,  O.    Looking  forward  to  his  r€- 


*The  oration  entire  may  be  found  in   "Reminiscences  of  James 
A.  Garfield,"  by  C.  E.  Fuller,  pp.  36-38. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  97 

turn  to  Hiram  in  the  spring  he  wrote  to 
His  Last  ^  friend :  "Now  won't  we  have  a  time 

District   School.       ^,  ,  •       d      aut-   '11      ..    j  11 

there   next   sprmg?     Well   study,   clash, 

combat  and  discuss,  make  'student's  offerings'  and 
engage  in  all  the  other  soul-stirring  operations  of  a  stu- 
dent's life."  In  the  same  letter  written  February  14,  1852, 
he  moralized  as  follows :  "Oh !  that  I  possessed  the  power  to 
scatter  the  firebrand  of  ambition  am.ong  the  youth  of  the 
rising  generation,  and  let  them  see  the  greatness  of  the 
age  in  which  they  live,  and  the  destiny  to  which 
mankind  are  rushing,  together  with  the  part  which 
they  are  destined  to  act  in  the  great  drama  of  human 
existence.  But,  if  I  cannot  inspire  them  with  that  spirit, 
I  intend  to  keep  it  predominant  in  my  own  breast,  and  let 
it  spur  me  forward  to  action.  But  let  us  remember  that 
knovvdedge  is  only  an  increase  of  power  and  is  only  good 
when  directed  to  good  ends.  Though  a  man  have  all  knowl- 
edge and  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  his  heart,  he  will  fall 
short  of  true  excellence."* 

The  spring  term  at  Hiram  opened  March  22,  1852,  with 

about    forty    students,    among    whom    was    Mr.    Garfield. 

April  2nd  following  he  was  taken  down  very  sick  with  the 

measles.     Writing  of  that  event  and  giv- 

^^'"^  ^^  ft"!  ^^""^^  '"^  ^^^  impressions  of  the  sick  student, 
Mr.  Fuller  said:  "You  will  think  I  am 
writing  at  rather  an  unseasonable  hour,  but  I  am  watching 
by  the  sick  bed  of  James  A.  Garfield.  He  is  here,  some 
twenty  miles  from  home  and  very  sick  with  the  measles. 
Still,  he  is  getting  along  very  well,  and  we  think  is  now  near 
the  worst.  I  know  you  would  like  him  and  if  you  come 
here  you  will  be  sure  to  get  acquainted,  for  he  thinks  as 
much  of  me  as  I  do  of  him.     He  is  really  a  noble  fellow ; 

*Letter  to  CorydonE.  Fuller. 


98  IlISTOUy    OV    HIHAM    COLLEGE. 

talented  far  above  the  generality  of  young  men,  of  sound 
principles,  he  must,  if  he  Hvcs,  make  a  man  in  the  world, 
and  one  whose  influence  will  be  felt."*  Notwithstanding 
the  interruption  caused  by  his  sickness  Mr.  Garfield  made 
great  progress  in  his  studies.  His  wonderful  endurance 
enabled  him  to  work  almost  unceasingly,  and  what  has  been 
described  as  "the  amazing  progress"  of  his  class  was  due 
in  a  large  measure  to  him.  It  has  been  noted  that  his  les- 
sons for  April  30,  1852,  were  as  follows:  "Three  pages  of 
Sallust,  one  of  Virgil,  five  of  Geometry,  five  of  Algebra, 
and  one  of  Latin  Grammar ;"  and  during  the  first  four 
weeks  of  the  term  the  class  read,  "seventy-two  pages  of 
Sallust,  and  learned  seventy-five  pages  of  Legendre's  Geom- 
etry and  Bourbon's  Algebra,  besides  grammar,  and  a  re- 
view of  Virgil."  No  wonder  a  membc-r  of  the  class  said : 
"We  were  all  very  proud  of  our  work." 

In  these  days  when  every  school  devotes  special  atten- 
tion to  instrumental  music,  it  will  appear  astonishing  that 
in  such  an  institution  as  the  Eclectic,  with  an  attendance  of 
a  large  number  of  ladies  during  the  school 

Music  year,  there  was  not  a  piano  in  Hiram, 

in  the  Eclectic.         i,     1    11  ,  ^i 

Probably  not  more  than  one  or  two  were 

brought  to  Hiram  during  the  seven  years  preceding  Mr. 
Garfield's  administration.  The  only  musical  instrument 
used  in  the  school  was  a  Melodeon,  upon  which  a  few  of 
the  ladies  took  lessons.  Mr.  Garfield  was  very  fond  of 
music.  He  had  a  deep  rich  voice  and  a  heart  that  over- 
flowed with  melody.  As  often  as  he  had  opportunity,  and 
permission  was  granted,  he  would  visit  the  Raymond  board- 
ing house  to  hear  the  Soule  girls,  Sarah  and  Julia,  and 
Hattie  Storer,  play  and  sing,  "Lillie  Dale,"  "Don't  you  re- 


♦Corydon  E.  Fuller  to  his  mother. 


■h 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863,  99 

member  sweet  Alice,  Ben  Bolt?"  "Blue  Juniata"  and  other 
popular  songs  of  that  day. 

Early  in  May,  1852,  a  strolling  lecturer  named  Joseph 
Treat  came  to  Hiram.  He  was  a  miniature  edition  of  the 
Robert  G.  Ingersoll  style  of  philosopher.     He  had  read  a 

few  infidel  works,  and  felt  himself  amply 

Mr.  Garfield         equipped  to  "defy  the  armies  of  the  living 

Debater  God."     With   rare   audacity   he   entered 

Hiram  and  delivered  a  series  of  his  lec- 
tures. At  the  close  of  each  lecture  he  would  challenge  any 
one  in  the  audience  to  answer  him,  but  for  several  evenings 
no  one  accepted  the  challenge.  But  one  night  Prof. 
Thomas  Munnell  was  prevailed  upon  to  answer  him.  His 
effort  was  hardly  satisfactory,  for  Mr.  Munnell  though  con- 
scientious, cultured,  earnest,  honest,  reverent  and  sincere, 
was  not  the  man  to  deal  with  a  braggart,  "who  could  swag- 
ger and  amuse  the  unthinking  and  raise  a  laugh  at  the 
holiest  principles  of  truth  without  compunction  and  with- 
out a  blush."  Mr.  Garfield  was,  finally,  prevailed  upon  to 
reply  to  Treat.  The  opportunity  soon  came  and  many  of 
the  students  and  others  were  present,  all  expecting  the  en- 
counter. It  is  not  known  that  Mr.  Treat  had  any  intim.a- 
tion  of  what  was  to  come.  He  had  been  able  to  raise  a 
laugh  at  the  expense  of  the  courteous  Munnell,  and  felt 
that  he  had  gained  a  victory.  He  made  a  most  venomous 
attack  on  the  Bible,  and  charged  all  who  believed  in  it  with 
the  grossest  credulity.  He  charged  that  the  translations  of 
the  Scriptures  were  not  reliable.  The  Bible  was  written  in 
Hebrew  and  Greek,  and  had  been  translated  to  suit  the  no- 
tions of  designing  and  dishonest  priests,  and  was  wholly 
unreliable  cither  as  history  or  revelation.  He  closed  with 
his  usual  challenge  to  anyone  to  answer  his   indictment. 


lOO  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Mr.  Garfield  arose  and  said  that  he  had 
Reply  to  the  Hstcned  with  great  attention  to  the  gcn- 
Infidel  Treat.  .,  ,  i         tt      i         m      i  i 

tleman  s  speech.     He  har.ily  knew  what 

to  say  in  answer  but  he  would  like  to  ask  him  a  question  : 
"Would  he  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  the  audience  what  was  the 
present  participle  of  the  verb  to  he  in  Greek,  or  in  other 
vrords,  the  Greek  word  to  correspond  with  the  English  word 
'being.'  Mr.  Treat  made  no  answer,  and  the  question 
was  repeated,  and  he  was  challenged  to  answer,  but  the 
poor  man  did  not  knozv."  Mr.  Garfield  then  turned  to  the 
audience  and  asked  them  what  they  thought  of  a  man  trav- 
eling over  the  country  criticising  the  work  of  the  world's 
great  scholars,  when  he  did  not  know  the  first  thing  the 
school-boy  learned  in  his  Greek  grammar.  He  did  not  re- 
proach the  gentleman  because  he  had  no  knowledge  of 
Greek,  but  because  he  sought  to  overthrow  the  Christian 
faith  and  dethrone  the  Christian's  God,  while  passing  him- 
self off  under  false  colors — pretending  to  knowledge  he 
did  not  possess ;  he  sought  to  destroy,  but  proposed  no  sub- 
stitute for  the  Christian  religion ;  to  rob  us  of  the  faith  we 
learned  in  cradle  hymns  and  at  our  mother's  knee,  and  leave 
us  without  a  chart  or  guide,  to  sail  upon  an  unknown  sea.  He 
^hen  uttered  an  impassioned  eulogy  upon  the  Bible  as  the 
source  of  civilization,  the  creed  of  the  mightiest  nations,  the 
accepted  moral  guide  of  all  the  grandest  men  in  history,  and 
the  only  light  through  a  dark  world  to  eternal  light,  and  life 
and  peace.  The  speech  was  like  an  electric  shock.  He  soon 
had  the  audience  with  him  and  the  applause  was  generous 
and  hearty.  He  spoke  with  a  readiness,  power  and  elo- 
quence that  astonished  even  those  who  had  expected  much. 
Since  that  day.  few  if  any,  perambulating  infidel  lecturers 
have  visited  Hiram.* 


♦Reminiscences  of  J.  A.  Garfield,  by  C.  E.  Fuller,  pp.  51-64. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1S63.  lOI 

Mr.    Garfield    always    respected   his    Hiram    teachers. 

These  were  A.  S.  Hayden  the  Principal,  Norman  Dunshee, 

Thomas  Munnell  and  Amaziah  Hull.     It  is  probable  that 

he  recited  more  to  Dunshee  than  to  all  the 

His 

-,     ,  rest  of  his  teachers.     To  some  of  his  class- 

Hiram  Teachers. 

mates  he  owed  a  "higher  debt  intellec- 
tually" than  to  any  of  his  teachers.  This  was  especially  true 
of  Miss  Booth,  whose  "generous  and  powerful  aid,  quick 
and  never-failing  sympathy,  and  intelligent,  unselfish  and 
unswerving  friendship"  were  always  acknowledged  by  him 
as  among  the  most  valuable  aids  he  received  in  his  remark- 
able intellectual  ascent.  But  there  was  in  him,  in  almost 
prodigal  abundance,  the  material  from  which  his  majestic 
^aracter  was  constructed.  The  help  of  teachers,  school- 
mates and  admiring  friends  was  the  stimulus  of  the  great 
intellectual  and  moral  forces  of  his  nature,  to  their  best  and 
most  comprehensive  action.  He  was  not  jealous  of  what 
•thers  had  done,  or  perhaps,  could  do.  He  was  always 
jjenerous  in  his  emulations,  though  "his  eye  never  wandered 
from  the  'other  fellow'  in  the  class  who  mught  master  the 
problem  first."  "He  was  a  vast  elemental  force,  and  noth- 
ing- was  so  essential  to  him  as  room  and  opportunity ;"  and 
lor  a  time  Hiram  gave  him  the  room  and  furnished  his  op- 
portunity. 

It  was   not   possible  to   hold  him   long   simply   as   a 

scholar  in  the  classroom  and  in  the  catalogue  of  1853-4  he 

was  announced  as  "Teacher  in  the  English  Department  and 

of    the    Ancient    Languages."     During 

Garfie  d  ^|^g  ^^^  years  which  followed,  before  he 

left    Hiram    for    Williams    College,    he 

taught  arithmetic,  grammar,  algebra,  penmanship,  geometry, 

and  classes  in  classics.     "He  handled  large  classes  in  the 

English  studies  with  conspicuous  power.     He  took  captive 


I02  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

the  members  of  his  classes.     He  won  the  students  as  ? 

body."'     No  one  of  the  no  persons  who  made  up  his  great 

arithmetic  class  in  the  winter  of  1853-4  can  forget  it. 

The  spring  term  of  the  Eclectic  in  1852  closed  June  25. 

and  the  fall  term  of  the  same  year  opened  August  23,  1852. 

During  the  vacation  Philip  Burns,  Corydon  E.  Fuller,  and 

James  A.   Garfield,   of   the   non-resident 

^,     ^         .  students,  remained  in  Hiram.     Mr.  A.  S. 

the  Carpenter.  ^,  ' 

Kilby  was  building  a  house  near  the  Ec- 
lectic, and  Mr.  John  Buckingham  one  on  the  north.  Mr. 
Garfield  engaged  to  work  for  j\Ir.  Kilby  for  seventy-five 
cents  a  day  and  board,  and  Mr.  Fuller  made  a  similar  con- 
tract with  Mr.  Buckingham  at  the  same  price.  The  two 
young  men  spent  most  of  their  nights  together,  sometimes 
at  Mr.  Kilby 's  and  then  at  Mr,  Buckingham's.  Neither  of 
them  regarded  it  a  hardship  to  work  at  the  same  trade  that 
Jesus  worked  at  with  his  father  in  Nazareth.  They  were 
both  strong  and  vigorous,  young,  healthy  and  hopeful  and 
they  spent  no  time  regretting  that  they  had  not  plenty  of 
money  which  they  had  not  earned.  But  carpenter  work 
was  not  the  only  work  he  could  do,  for  later,  August  20, 
1853,  Mr.  Garfield,  Miss  Booth  and  Mr.  Fuller  spent  the 
day  at  paper  hanging  for  Principal  Hayden,  and  on  that 
job  Mr.  Garfield  was  the  foreman,  and  brought  the  work  to 
a  successful  conclusion. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  on  the  West- 
ern Reserve,  or  seventy-five  years  ago  it  was  not  a  difficult 
thing  for  a  young  man  to  enter  the  ranks  of  the  Disciple 

ministry.     If  he  was  a  Christian,  had  fair 
the^Preacher         natural  gifts  of  body  and  mind,  knew  the 

alphabet  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  was  will- 
ing to  study,  and  had  a  desire  to  preach  he  was  encouraged 
to  preach.     Very  few  of  the  early  Disciple  preachers  were 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  IO3 

ever  "ordained"  to  the  ministry,  in  the  modern  ecclesias- 
tical sense  of  that  term.  Hence  in  the  commonly  accepted 
sense,  he  was  never  a  preacher  or  minister ;  Tbut  this  could 
also  be  said  of  hundreds  of  other  preachers  among  the  Dis- 
ciples, at  that  time,  before  and  since.  He  did,  however, 
"preach  the  word."  He  did  hold  "revival"  or  protracted 
meetings  and  often  with  great  success.  In  Hiram  in  1858 
where  he  did  the  most  of  his  preaching  there  were  34  addi- 
tions, in  Newburgh,  the  same  year  20  additions,  and  more  or 
less  wherever  he  preached.  He  did  baptize  people  on  the 
confession  of  their  faith.  He  married  people  and  often- 
times he  stood  by  the  caskets  of  the  dead,  and  at  their 
graves  and  uttered  words  of  comfort  to  the  living  and  of 
committal  for  the  dead.  In  short  he  did,  on  occasion, 
everything  that  is  required  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel. 

His   first  sermon  in   Hiram  was  in  the 
First  Sermon  .  ^       „  tt-  1  • 

in  Hiram.  Winter    of    1853-54.     His    subject    was, 

"The  first  and  second  comings  of  Christ," 
and  in  illustration  he  sketched  in  a  vivid  way  the  first  and 
second  comings  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  to  France.*  For  a 
number  of  years,  five  at  least,  he  preached  somewhere 
nearly  every  Sunday.  In  a  number  of  churches  he  preached 
"one  half  his  time"  for  several  years.  At  the  great  "yearly 
meetings"  at  Bedford  and  elsewhere  he  was  always  a  favor- 
ite preacher.  Indeed,  he  did  not  cease  entirely  to  preach 
until  after  his  election  to  Congress  in  1863.  On  September 
2,  1853,  with  a  friend,  he  went  from  Hiram  to  attend  the 
yearly  meeting  at  Euclid.  On  the  Sunday  following  Alex- 
ander Campbell  preached  on  the  theme,  "What  think  ye  of 
Christ?"     It  was  said  of  that  sermon,  "It  was  worth  a 

*I  heard  the   sermon   referred    to,  and   though   47   years   have 
passed  since,  it  is  its  vivid  before  me  as  a  thing  of  yesterday. 

—F.  M.  Green. 


I04  HISTORY    OP    HIRAJI    COLLEGE. 

journey  of  a  thousand  miles."  The  pulpit  took  a  strong 
hold  on  his  mind,  and  in  some  of  his  letters  to  intimate 
friends,  the  foundation  is  laid  for  the  belief  that  he  would 
make  preaching  his  chief  work  in  life.  But  as  he  increased 
in  years  and  experience  he  seemed  to  realize  that  he  did  not 
have  "the  inward  vocation  for  the  v/ork."  No  doubt  he 
would  have  achieved  high  distinction  as  a  preacher,  but  "hi? 
genius  drew  him  to  the  State  by  its  very  bent,  as  anyone  who 
has  followed  his  history  can  see."  At  the  same  time  that  he 
left  the  pulpit  he  left  the  classroom.  His  preaching  and 
teaching  had  been  of  great  value  to  others  and  a  source, 
also,  of  great  strength  to  himself,  both  as  a  man  and  a  public 
servant. 

After  his  return  to  Hiram  from  Williams  College  in 

1856  he  began  the  study  of  law,  and  in  1859  he  entered  his 

name  as  a  student-at-law  in  the  ofifice  of  Williamson  and 

Riddle  of  Cleveland,  and  in  about  tv/o 

,,     r  years  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by  the 

the  Lawyer.  -'  _  ■' 

Supreme  Court  of  Ohio,  upon  the  recom- 
mendation of  Hon.  Thomas  Key  and  Hon.  Richard  Harri- 
son, who  subjected  Mr.  Garfield  to  a  just,  but  thorough  and 
searching  examination,  and  in  their  report  to  the  Court 
they  spoke  of  his  mastery  of  the  law  as  unusual  and  phe- 
nomenal. In  the  sense  of  ordinary  practice  of  law,  Mr. 
Garfield  never  "practiced  law."  He  did  very  little,  if  any- 
thing, in  the  lower  courts.  In  his  study  of  the  law,  he 
was  as  in  everything  else,  determined  to  be  with  the  first. 
In  the  confidence  of  a  letter  to  an  intimate  friend  July  30, 
1854,  and  just  after  his  arrival  at  Williams'  College,  he 
wrote:  "I  almost  feel  that  there  are  but  two  tracks  before 
me — to  stand  at  least  among  the  first  or  die.  I  believe  I 
can  do  it  if  granted  a  fair  trial."  It  has  been  said,  and  the 
statement  has  not  been  disputed,  "that  he  was  the  first  and 


THE  HIRAM  CHURCH:    Erected  in  1844;  Burned  in  1856. 


THE  HIRAM  CHURCH:     ?:kectei)  in  1856;  Burned  May  25,  1897. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  I05 

the  only  man  born  in  America,  who  made  his  first  plea  as  a 

lawyer,  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States."* 

Mr.  A.  G.  Riddle  in  speaking  of  the  event 

His  First  g^j^  .  iij^  ^^g  ^  splendid  sight.  The  young 

lawyer,  not  ten  days  admitted,  making 
the  first  legal  plea  of  his  life  before  the  most  august  tribunal 
of  justice  in  the  nation,  and  upon  a  question  involving  the 
civil  rights  and  liberties  of  men  for  whom  he  had  no  per- 
sonal regard,  and  whom  he  had  never  seen;  men,  too,  the 
like  of  whom,  so  far  as  their  political  sentiments  were  con- 
cerned, he  had  fought  with  a  soldier's  bravery  from  Middle 
Creek  to  Chicamauga." 

The  chapel  lectures,  or  "morning  lectures"  as  they  were 
called,  were  an  interesting  feature  of  Hiram  during  the 
years  of  the  Eclectic  Institute.     These  usually  followed  the 

Scripture  reading,  singing  and  prayer,  by 

„,       ,  T     .  which   the   daily   sessions   of   the    school 

Chapel   Lecture.  ■'  . 

were  introduced.  During  the  administra- 
tion of  Mr.  Hayden  these  lectures  were  mostly  a  study  of 
the  Bible — its  facts  and  the  literature  of  its  various  books. 
When  Mr.  Garfield  took  charge  of  the  school  the  form  and 
character  of  the  morning  lecture  were  somewhat  changed, 
but  they  were  in  entire  harmony  with  his  own  method,  pur- 
sued before  he  went  to  Williams.  His  first  lecture  in  the 
Institute  was  in  the  winter  of  1853-54.  His  subject  was, 
"Historical  Elements  of  the  English  Language." 

His  chapel  lectures  were  a  great  source  of  instruction 
and  influence.  "Of  these  he  gave  many  hundreds,  ranging 
over  education,  teaching,  books,  methods  of  study  and  read- 


♦While  visiting  at  his  house  in  Mentor,  in  February,  1881,  just 
before  he  left  for  Washington,  I  asked  him  if  the  statement  was  true ; 
for  I  desired  to  insert  it  in  the  story  of  his  life  which  I  was  soon  to 
write.  He  said  he  knew  of  no  exception  to  it — that  he  thought  it 
was  literally  true. — r.  M.  Green. 


106  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ing,  physical  geography,  geology,  history,  the  Bible,  morals, 
current  topics  and  life  questions.  These  lectures  were  full 
of  fresh  facts,  new  thoughts,  striking  illustrations,  and  were 
warm  with  the  glow  of  his  own  life."*  "He  generally 
spoke  from  notes  that  he  had  carefully  prepared,  and  that 
he  carefully  preserved.  If  these  notes  should  be  brought 
forth  from  their  hiding  place  and  published,  men  would  be 
astonished  at  the  sweep  of  his  thought,  the  versatility  of  his 
mind,  and  the  fertility  of  his  resources."  His  method  of 
teaching  combined  "the  technical  question,  the  general  ques- 
tion, the  topic,  and  the  teacher's  own  discussion  of  the  ques- 
tion in  hand."  He  strove  to  awaken  the.  student's  faculties, 
and  he  rarely  ever  failed  to  energize  or  vitalize  him.  "He 
stimulated  thought,  created  the  habit  of  observation  and  re- 
flection, aroused  courage,  widened  the  field  of  mental  vision, 
and  furnished  inspiration  in  unlimited  measures." 

Where  to  go  when  he  should  leave  Hiram  was  a  diffi- 
cult question  for  Mr.  Garfield  to  answer,  but  after  carefully 
considering  the  question,  he  decided  in  favor  of  Williams 

College.     June  26,   1854,  he  wrote  to  a 

From  Kiram         friend:  "The  last  link  is  broken,  and  I 

to  Wiiliamstown.      have   snapped   the   last   arrow   upon   the 

grave  of  my  fathers.  The  scenes  of  our 
dear  Eclectic  are  over  and  she  is  left  covered  with  glory. 
I  can  never  go  to  Bethany.  Next  Thursday  I  start  for  the 
Old  Bay  State.  Within  ten  days  I  shall  be  at  Wiiliamstown, 
Mass.,  where  I  may  remain  two  years.  Again  I  am  to 
stand  alone  among  strangers  and  in  a  strange  land."  July 
II,  1854,  he  arrived  at  Wiiliamstown,  and  in  the  afternoon 
of  that  day  met  President  Hopkins,  passed  his  examination 
in  mathematics,  Greek  and  Latin,  and  was  allowed  to  enter 


*I  have  six  of  his  Lectures  on  Geology,  taken  down  in  outline 
at  the  time  they  were  delivered  and  preserved.  They  seem  to  me 
wonderful  now. — J^.  M,  Green. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  IO7 

the  coming  junior  year.  He  remained  two  years  in  Wil- 
liamstown  and  graduated  August  6,  1856,  receiving  one  of 
the  honors  of  his  class.  Out  of  a  class  of  45  only  six  re- 
ceived graduating  honors.  Of  himself  he  writes  May  15, 
1856:  "I  am  one  of  the  six,  and  received  the  Metaphysical 
Honor,  which  is  considered  second  only  to  the  Valedictory, 
which  last  is  always  awarded  to  one  who  has  been  here  the 
full  time,  other  things  being  nearly  equal."  Of  the  result 
on  Commencement  Day  it  was  written,  "that  his  was  the 
great  oration  of  the  day." 

It  is  impossible  to  enter  more  fully  into  the  details  of 
this  wonderful  personal  history  and  deal  justly  with  other 
matters  which  belong  in  this  chapter.     It  must  suffice  to 

sum  up  some  of  the  characteristics  of  this 

Back  in  Hiram.  ,  ,    .  ,  , 

man  whose  name  and  fame  have  covered 

Hiram  with  glory.  He  was  modest  and  self-possessed, 
without  vanity  or  self-consciousness  and  free  from  affecta- 
tion. His  intellections  were  clear,  vigorous  and  easy  in  all 
directions.  He  had  a  great  desire  to  conquer,  to  prove  su- 
perior to  every  difficulty,  to  excel  all  competitors,  and  finally, 
to  conquer  and  surpass  himself;  and  over  all  he  shed  the 
glory  of  a  happy  disposition,  full  of  hope  and  manly  cour- 
age. He  called  out  the  demonstrativeness  and  affections 
of  men  in  a  way  almost  unprecedented.  His  heart  none 
but  the  most  utterly  obdurate  could  resist.  He  was  full  of 
unshed  goodness,  gentleness  and  tenderijess.  His  propor- 
tions never  grew  less  to  those  who  became  acquainted  with 
him,  for  as  they  grew  he  grew  too;  "and  they  never  had 
occasion  to  measure  him  over  again."  "He  always  dis- 
cussed large  subjects  in  a  large  way."  He  excelled  almost 
all  men  in  comprehensive  generalizations  ;  and  also  in  the  pa- 
tient, untiring  labor  with  which  he  would  hunt  down  special 
facts.     Fie  treasured  up  knowledge  of  all  kinds,  "for,"  he 


108  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE, 

would  say,  "you  never  know  how  soon  you  will  need  it." 
He  conscientiously  performed  every  duty  assigned  him  at 
home  or  abroad,  in  field  or  in  shop,  in  school  room  or  pulpit, 
in  the  army  or  in  Congress,  in  the  meeting  of  teachers  or 
in  the  Board  of  Trustees,  in  the  mighty  campaign  or  in  the 
Presidential  chair.  He  seemed  "greater  than  any  of  his 
works,  wiser  than  any  of  his  words." 

When  he  first  came  to  Hiram  in  185 1  "he  came  unob- 
served, a  student  poor  and  plain."  In  1880  he  came  "with 
flags  and  bands  of  music,  with  powerful  friends  and  a  huz- 
zaing multitude,  and  a  troop  of  corre- 
His  Last  Visit      spondents  to  tell  it  to  all  the  world."  Feb- 

to  Hiram.  ruary  4,  1881,  he  made  his  last  visit  to 

Hiram,  and  closed  his  memorable  career 
with  the  College  and  the  place.  On  that  occasion,  in  part, 
he  said :  "To-day  is  a  sort  of  burial-day  in  many  ways.  I 
have  often  been  in  Hiram,  and  have  often  left  it ;  but,  with 
the  exception  of  when  I  went  to  the  war,  I  have  never  felt 
that  I  was  leaving  it  in  quite  so  definite  a  v/ay  as  I  do  to-day. 
It  was  so  long  a  workshop,  so  long  a  home,  that  all  absences 
have  been  temporary,  and  involved  always  a  return.  I  can- 
not speak  of  all  the  ties  that  bind  me  to  this  place.  There 
are  other  things  buried  beneath  this  snow  besides  dead  peo- 
ple. The  trees,  the  rocks,  the  fences,  and  the  grass  are  all 
reminders  of  things  connected  with  my  Hiram  life.  *  '^ 
May  the  time  never  conie  when  I  cannot  find  some  food  for 
mind  and  heart  on  Hiram  Hill." 

He  was  born  November  19,  1831,  in  Cuyahoga  Co., 
Ohio.  Driver  on  the  Ohio  Canal  in  the  summer  of  1848. 
Entered  Geauga  Seminary,  at  Chester,  O.,  March  6,  1849. 

g  Taught  his  first  school  in  the  winter  of 

and  ChTnologv.     1S49-50.     Baptized  by  W.  A.  Lillie  March 

4,  1850.     Entered  "Eclectic  Institute     at 

Hiram   August   25,    1851.     Was   teacher   and    student   at 


'W 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1S63.  IO9 

Hiram  from  1852-54.  Entered  Williams  College  July  11, 
1854.  Graduated  with  honor  from  Williams  College  Au- 
gust 6,  1856.  Professor  and  Principal  and  Lecturer  at 
Hiram  from  1856- 1866.  Elected  to  Ohio  Senate  in  Octo- 
ber, 1859.  Entered  the  Union  Army  in  1861.  Commis- 
sioned Brigadier  General  January  10,  1862.  Elected  to  Con- 
gress in  October  1862  and  served  continuously  from  De- 
cember, 1863  until  1880.  Commissioned  ]>.Ia]or  General 
September  18,  1863.  Elected  United  States  Senator  from 
Ohio  in  January,  1880.  Nominated  for  President  of  the 
United  States  June  8,  1880.  Elected  President  of  the 
United  States  November  2,  1880.  Inaugurated  March  4, 
1881.  Shot  by  the  assassin  July  2,  1881.  Died  at  Elberon, 
September  19,  1881, 

It  would  hardly  be  expected  with  such  a  man  as  Mr. 
Garfield  at  the  head  that  the  character  of  the  school  would 
remain  in  all  respects  as  it  had  been,  during  the  administra- 
tion  of   Mr.    Hayden.     And   there    were 
Changes  some  changes,  some  of  them  quite  rad- 

in  the  Character       .     ,       j<t.  •  1  .11-1 

.    ,  ical.       its  genms  was  less  theological  or 

School.  biblical,  and  more  secular  or  human.  The 

ecclesiastical  way  of  looking  at  things 
somewhat  receded  with  the  retirement  of  Principal  Hayden. 
But  morals,  religion,  and  Bible  study  were  by  no  means 
forgotten.  Noble  ideals  of  life  and  character,  ideals  of 
manliness,  courage,  reverence,  and  truth,  were  constantly 
kept  in  view.  And  such  of  the  students  as  could  receive  it 
were  filled  with  the  Principal's  own  largeness  of  nature."* 

Mr.  Garfield  was  very  successful  as  a  school  adminis- 
trator. He  understood  what  was,  and  what  was  not,  essen- 
tial to  discipline  and  good  order,  and  he  never  spent  his 
force  on  little  things.     "He  always  had  a  code  of  printed 

*Garfield  p.nd  Education,  p.  55. 


no  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

rules  that  he  expounded  each  term;  he  exacted  weekly  re- 
ports of  conduct ;  but  his  own  personality  was  worth  far 
more  than  both  rules  and  reports." 

Mr.  Garfield's  administration  lifted  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute into  new  prominence.  It  took  a  step  in  advance;  its 
influence  was  enlarged;  a  higher  standard  of  scholarship 
was  demanded ;  its  culture  became  more  mature ;  its  patron- 
age outside  the  church  increased ;  and  educators  became 
familiar  with  the  name  of  Hiram  and  the  Principal.  In 
1858  Mr.  Garfield  made  a  report  to  the  State  Commissioner 
of  Common  Schools  in  which  he  said :  "The  aim  of  the  school 
is  to  hold  the  rank  of  a  first-class  collegiate  seminary ;  to 
train  teachers  for  their  duty  in  the  public  schools,  and  to  pre- 
pare students  for  an  advanced  standing  in  college.  One 
of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Eclectic  is  a  clause  in  its  charter 
providing  for  the  introduction  of  the  Bible  as  a  text  book. 
It  is  introduced  in  no  sectarian  attitude ;  but  the  sacred  lit- 
erature, history  and  morals  of  the  Bible,  are  regarded  as  le- 
gitimate theme  for  academic  instruction.  The  Institute  is 
constantly  increasing  in  influence  and  number  of  students, 
and  is  now  more  prosperous  than  ever." 

From  some  of  the  letters  he  wrote  to  friends  from  1857 
onward  there  may  be  gleaned  some  of  the  inner  life  of  the 
Eclectic  during  this  period.  August  30,  1857,  he  wrote: 
"There  has  been  a  great  crisis  upon  the  Eclectic  Institute, 
and  I  am  buffeting  such  waves  as  I  never  before  breasted, 
and  doing  such  work  as  I  never  before  have  done.  We 
have  raised  over  $400  to  build  a  fence  around  the  Eclectic 
grounds.  We  have  remodeled  the  government,  published 
rules,  published  a  new  catalogue,  and  have  now,  the  fourth 
week,  250  students  (no  primary),  as  orderly  as  clock-work, 
and  all  hard  at  work.  Our  teachers  are  Dunshee,  Everest, 
Rhodes,  and  Almeda.     I  teach  seven  classes  and  take  the 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1S57-1863.  Ill 

entire  charge  of  the  school  and  its  correspondence  besides. 
I  have  the  most  advanced  classes  in  the  school  and  deliver 
the  most  of  the  morning  lectures." 

January  16,  1858,  he  wrote:  "I  am  doing  all  the  work 
in  the  school  that  I  formerly  did,  and  more ;  I  speak  some- 
where every  Lord's  day,  and  have  written  and  delivered 
several  lectures  this  season." 

During  this  period  much  attention  was  given  to  the 

teaching  and  training  of  teachers   for  their  special  work. 

Classes  were  formed  and  conducted  with  reference  to  the 

duties  of  the  teacher.     Courses  of  lec- 

„,^   ,  tures    were   prepared    and    delivered    on 

Teachers.  ^     ^ 

school  government  and  the  best  methods 
of  teaching.  This  arrangement  was  intended  to  answer  the 
purpose  of  a  Normal  school.  Elocution  was  given  special 
attention.  It  was  held,  that  "to  become  a  good  reader,  two 
things  are  requisite — first,  the  power  of  vocal  expression ; 
and  second  an  appreciation  of  the  author's  thought.  For 
this  reason  a  part  of  each  recitation  will  be  devoted  to  vocal 
gymnastics,  and  the  adaptation  of  the  voice  to  express  the 
different  emotions  and  passions.  Then  a  close  study  of  the 
sentiment  to  be  read,  will  enable  the  student  to  read  'with 
the  spirit  and  the  understanding,'  instead  of  merely  mouth- 
ing the  printed  words." 

Among  the  teachers  who  helped  to  make  the  Garfield 
administration  successful  and  strong  was  J.  H.  Rhodes. 
He  first  came  to  Hiram  from  Massillon,  Ohio,  where  his 
parents  lived,  in  the  year  18^2-^"?.  He 
was  of  a  good  family  and  of  sturdy  Ger- 
man stock.  Miss  Booth  to  whom  he  recited  when  he  first 
came  to  Hiram,  and  with  whom  he  afterwards  associated  as 
a  teacher,  has  left  on  record  a  little  incident  of  his  early 
Hiram  life.  In  a  letter  written  June  24,  1855,  she  says:  "I 
was  in  Hiram  Thursday,  to  their  exhibition.     It  was  down 


112  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ill  the  corner  under  the  apple  trees,  just  as  it  used  to  be 
when  you  were  there.  You  would  hardly  perceive  any 
change,  only  in  the  performers.  Sutton  was  there  with  the 
same  gentle  voice  and  bland  smile ;  yet  there  are  more  wrin- 
kles in  his  face,  and  gray  hairs  are  more  abundant.  And 
Bro.  Munnell  was  there  looking  as  earnest  and  determined 
as  ever;  and  Norman  Dunshee,  too.  Time  deals  kindly 
with  him ;  his  lank  face  has  assumed  fuller  proportions  and 
ne  looks  more  noble.  O.  P.  Miller  was  on  the  discussion, 
"Do  the  signs  of  the  times  indicate  the  downfall  of  Popery?" 
His  opponent  was  J.  H.  Rhodes,  a  German  boy,  from  Stark 
County.  Ke  got  up  with  a  little  patched  coat  on  looking 
very  humble ;  but  he  is  tremendous  smart.  He  rolled  off  a 
perfect  torrent  of  eloquence,  and  argument,  too.  Bro.  Mun- 
nell  says  he  will  make  James'  place  good."*  Mr.  Rhodes 
never  fell  below  the  estimate  Miss  Booth  placed  on  him,  dur- 
ing his  long  and  honorable  connection  with  Pliram.  In  1854 
he  became  one  of  the  teachers  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  and 
remained  as  such  until  1863  with  only  brief  periods  of  ab- 
sence. He  taught  in  the  English  Department,  Alathematics, 
and  Modern  Languages.  He  was  one  of  the  best  teachers 
of  elocution  ever  connected  with  the  Institution.  His  tem- 
perament was  so  different  that  his  pupils  never  had  that 
enthusiastic  personal  affection  for  him  that  they  always  had 
for  Miss  Booth  and  Mr.  Garfield ;  and  yet,  he  was  generally 
well  liked.  He  had  a  bright,  keen  intellect ;  the  disposition 
of  a  student ;  a  command  of  language  perhaps  unsurpassed 
by  any  student  or  teacher  in  Hiram ;  a  character  unblem- 
ished by  scandal  or  weakness ;  and  he  retained  his  affection 
for  Hiram  from  the  time  he  entered  a  student  in  1853  until 
his  death  in  1889,  a  period  of  more  than  a  third  of  a  century. 
Along  these  years  he  was  student,  teacher  and  Trustee  of 
the  Institution. 


*Lctterto  Corydon  E.  Fuller. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  II3 

The  following  interesting  memorandum  referring  to  a 
meeting  in  progress  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  J.  H. 
Rhodes,  written   September  2^,   1857:     "From   this   place 

onward  is  a  short  abstract  of  what  the 

Memorandum        school   (by  which  is  meant  the  teachers) 

by  J.  H.  Rhodes,     is  doing  for  the  religious  interests  of  the 

school  and  society.  Brother  Everest  up 
to  this  time  has  spoken  twice,  Brother  Garfield  twice,  and 
Brother  Dunshee  several  times.  There  have  been  some  per- 
sonal interviews  with  a  number  of  the  students.  I,  myself, 
have  made  this  to  supply,  so  far  as  possible,  what  preaching 
I  might  do.  On  the  13th  of  this  month  the  following  ones 
vv'cre  converted :  Mary  DeWolf,  Emma  Shattuck,  Mary 
Howe,  Minerva  Tuttle ;  on  the  20th  Mary  Calvin ;  on  the 
27th  H.  D.  Carlton,  M.  B.  Dawson,  Charles  Ledwell,  J.  Par- 
dee, Martha  Mathews.  Some  of  these  we  trust  may  be  use- 
ful members  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  May  the  Spirit  of 
God  brood  mightily  over  this  Institution,  to  the  conversion 
of  many  souls." 

After  his  death  the  Board  of  Trustees  placed  on  record 
June  2,  1890,  the  following  resolutions  prepared  by  C.  B. 
Lockwood,  Andrew  Squire,  and  F.  M.  Green:  "Resolved, 
That  this  Board,  at  its  first  meeting  since  the  death  of  J.  H. 
Rhodes,  desires  to  express  its  sense  of  great  loss  and  sorrow 
at  his  separation  from  us.  We  cannot  forget  him  as  one  of 
the  distinguished  trio,  Garfield,  Booth  and  Rhodes,  who  so 
faithfully  labored  as  professors,  when  it  was  largely  a  labor 
of  love  in  the  days  of  our  poverty,  and  gave  to  Hiram  a 
permanent  place  among  the  colleges  of  our  country ;  nor 
his  unremitting  and  unremunerated  labor  of  love  as  a  mem- 
ber of  this  Board.  Qualified  by  education  and  experience, 
and  with  untiring  devotion  all  these  years  of  his  history  he 
has  faithfully  watched  over  its  interests.  Resolved,  That  all 
who  love  Hiram,  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  his  faith- 


114  HISTORY    OF    HIRAJM    COLLEGE. 

ful  service  for  her  prosperity ;  and  that  this  Board  wishes  to 
properly  emphasize  its  appreciation  of  his  distinguished  aid 
and  assistance;  therefore  Resohcd,  That  these  resohitions 
be  made  a  part  of  our  permanent  records." 

No  Hiram  history  would  be  complete  without  his  name 
written  large  upon  its  pages.  He  was  not  only  a  distin- 
guished member  in  the  Hiram  Fellowship  but  he  achieved 
distinction  as  an  orator  and  counselor  at  law  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  and  as  a  citizen. 

He  was  born  in  Summit  County,  Ohio,  July  7,  1836, 
and  died  in  Cleveland,  O.,  February  14,  1890. 

During  the  administration  of  Mr.   Garfield  while  the 

patronage  somewhat  increased,  and  the  receipts  from  tuition 

and  other  sources  were  correspondingly  larger,  the  expenses 

likewise  increased  on  account  of  the  in- 

-,  ,^  creased   needs  of  the   school.     The   debt 

Matters. 

on  the  Institution  amounted  at  the  close 
of  Mr.  Hayden's  administration  June  17,  1857,  to  $5,517.95. 
The  receipts  for  tuition  for  the  year  ending  June  lo,  1858, 
were  $3,218.00,  of  which  $349.20  were  used  for  current  ex- 
penses, leaving  for  the  teachers  $2,868.80.  It  was  found 
difficult  to  raise  m.oney  year  by  year  sufficient  to  prevent  a 
deficit  at  the  end  of  each  year.  For  some  reason  the 
churches  that  at  the  beginning  were  its  largest  contributors 
grew  cool  in  their  friendship  and  declined  to  furnish  the 
necessary  support.  In  1855  it  was  proposed  in  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  "to  raise  ten  thousand  dollars  to  liquidate  tlie 
debt,  and  for  other  necessary  purposes,  by  one  hundred  in- 
dividuals subscribing  one  hundred  dollars  each ;  no  one 
being  bound  for  his  subscription  till  the  number  of  one  hun- 
dred of  such  subscriptions  be  obtained."  The  terms  were 
afterwards  modified  so  as  to  require  five  thousand  dollars 
to  be  subscribed  before  the  pledges  could  be  held.  A..  S. 
Hayden  and  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding  were  put  into  the  field  as 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1S63.  II5 

agents  and  solicitors  to  raise  this  amount.  In  1856  Mr. 
Hayden  reported  "pledges  and  notes  to  the  amount  of  four 
thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-nine  dollars,"  which 
amount  lacked  three  hundred  and  eleven  dollars  of  enough 
to  claim  the  subscriptions  "according  to  the  modified  reso- 
lution of  the  Board,  passed  at  the  last  meeting."  April  i, 
1856,  a  Standing  Committee  of  Accounts  was  appointed  by 
the  Board  whose  duty,  in  part,  was  "to  annually  report  the 
state  of  the  funds"  and  the  general  financial  condition  of  the 
Institution.  The  committee  was  made  to  consist  of  Freder- 
ick Williams  and  Cyrus  Bosworth,  Sr.  June  18,  1856,  this 
Committee  made  a  carefully  prepared  report  which  is  inter- 
esting even  at  this  day :  "The  Committee  of  Accounts,  to 
whom  was  assigned  the  duty  of  settling  with  the  Building 
Committee  of  the  Institute,  the  Building  Committee  of  the 
Boarding  Houses,  and  the  Treasurer  of  the  Institute,  re- 
spectfully submit  the  following  report :  That  in  pursuance 
of  the  duties  imposed  on  them,  the  books  and  vouchers  of 
said  Building  Committees,  as  presented  by  Alvah  Udall, 
Esq.,  a  member  of  said  Committees,  and  now  President  of 
the  Board,  have  been  carefully  examined,  and  show  the  fol- 
lowing results : 

I — That  the  whole  amount  expended  in  land,  buildings 
and  furniture,  is  sixteen  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars 
($16,500). 

2 — That  the  books  of  the  Treasurer  show  that  the  sum 
of  eleven  thousand,  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  dollars 
and  twenty-five  cents,  has  been  paid  out  of  the  Treasury, 
partly  in  liquidation  of  the  foregoing  amount,  and  partly  for 
incidental  expenses,  for  which  no  detailed  account  can  be 
given  ($11,134.25). 

3 — That  the  whole  amount  of  outstanding  notes  against 
the  Building  Committees  is  seven  thousand  five  hundred 
and  seventeen  dollars  ($7,517.00). 


Il6  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

4 — That  to  meet  this  outstanding  debt,  there  are  claims, 
to  the  amount  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-five 
dollars  in  the  hands  of  W.  A.  Belding,  and  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  dollars  due  on  land  sold,  and  a  balance  on 
the  books  of  the  Building  Committees  of  twenty-five  dollars 
and  sixty-six  cents,  a  total  of  ($2,040.66). 

5 — That  a  careful  examination  of  the  bocks  and  vouch- 
ers of  said  Building  Committees,  discloses  nothing  that  is 
not  fair  and  honest,  and  exhibits  on  striking  a  general  bal- 
ance, twenty-five  dollars  and  sixty-six  cents  in  favor  of  the 
Institute  ($25.66). 

6 — That  the  foregoing  amounts,  in  all,  $2,040.66,  de- 
ducted from  $7,517.00,  leave  $5,476.34  as  the  entire  indebt- 
edness of  the  Institute  at  the  present  time." 

It  may  be  said  that  while  there  was  scarcely  a  year  dur- 
ing the  lifetime  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  that  there  was  not 
a  deficit,  still  no  serious  debts  were  ever  incurred.  If  the 
receipts  Vvcre  not  equal  to  the  expectation  of  those  most  con- 
cerned, they  accepted  the  smaller  sum,  and  forgave  the 
debt.  But  the  school  was  like  a  healthy  growing  boy;  it 
was  continually  v/earing  out  or  outgrowing  its  garments, 
and  means  must  be  supplied  to  provide  larger  and  new 
ones.  To  this  end  the  Principal  and  some  of  his  teachers, 
and  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  special  solici- 
tors were  sent  out  among  the  churches  to  canvass  for  funds, 
But  this  miscellaneous  canvassing  was  not  generally  satis- 
factory. 

November  9,   1858,  the  Board  of  Trustees  on  m.otion 

of  William  Hayden  resolved  "that  W.  J.  Ford  be  employed 

to  act  as  solicitor  and  collector  for  the  Institution ;  and  that 

the  President  be  authorized  to  act  for  the 

'  ^'  '°^  ■  Board  In  specifying  the  terms  of  employ- 
ment." ]\Ir.  Ford  had  been  elected  a  Trustee  in  1856  to  suc- 
ceed his  father,  J.  A.  Ford.     ]SIr.  Ford  is  a  member  of  the 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  II7 

present  Board  of  Trustees,  and  counting  from  his  first  elec- 
tion to  the  present,  he  has  served  the  Institution  for  44 
years — a  longer  period  than  any  other  person.  As  a  solic- 
itor he  was  successful  from  the  beginning  and  so  far  as  the 
records  show,  no  trouble  ever  arose  in  the  adjustment  of 
his  accounts.  His  work  as  solicitor  ran  over  into  the  Col- 
lege period,  and  the  funds  that  he  secured  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  permanent  endowment  fund  of  the  College, 
which  has  steadily  grown  from  its  small  beginning  to  its 
present  creditable  proportions.  Mr.  Ford  was  so  success- 
ful in  raising  funds  and  creating  an  interest  in  the  school 
that  June  5,  1861,  the  Board  of  Trustees  recorded  its  judg- 
ment of  his  work  as  follows :  ^'Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of 
the  Trustees  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  be 
tendered  to  W.  J.  Ford  for  the  efficient  manner  in  which  he 
has  discharged  his  duties  as  solicitor  for  the  Institution ;  and 
that  his  services  be  continued  in  making  collections  and  in 
raising  funds."  It  may  also  be  said  that  Mr.  Ford  was  a 
student  of  the  Eclectic  in  its  first  and  second  years.  It  is, 
probably,  not  an  overstatement  to  say  that  no  other  finan- 
cial agent  of  the  College  ever  excelled  him  when  the  condi- 
tions and  environments  of  the  period  of  his  service  are  con- 
sidered. He  is  entitled  to  this  distinct  recognition  in  the 
history  of  the  College. 

Great  interest  was  taken  in  the  Literary  Societies  of  the 
Institute  during  Mr.   Garfield's  administration.     The  Del- 
phic,   Hesperian    and    Olive    Branch    in    their    respective 
spheres  were  enthusiastic  and  successful.     In  the  multitude 
of  his  duties  while  Principal  at  Hiram, 

Literary  j^j-j.  Garfield  did  not  forget  or  neglect  the 

Societies.  . 

literary  work  of  the  school.  His  inter- 
est and  enthusiasm  in  the  work  of  the  societies  did  not  di- 
minish after  he  became  teacher  and  Principal ;  and  during 
his  administration  the  names  and  numbers  of  the  acting 


Il8  HISTORY    OF    IIIRA.M    COLLEGE. 

members  of  each  society  were  published  in  the  annual  cata- 
logues. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  the  character  of  the  school 
changed   somewhat    after   J\lr.   Garfield   became    Principal. 
But  these  changes  were  usually  in  the  line  of  its  manage- 
ment, the  strengthening  of  its  courses  of 
Proposed  study,  and   method   of  procedure.     Per- 

^,        ,    \  .u       haps  its  genius  became  "less  theological 

Character  of  the  t-  b  cs 

School.  or  biblical,  and  more  secular  or  human" 

than  it  had  been  under  the  previous  ad- 
ministration. And  yet  there  appears  to  have  been  a  strong 
desire  on  the  part  of  many  of  its  friends  to  change  its  char- 
acter from  that  of  a  merely  literary  institution  with  the 
Bible  as  a  book  for  daily  study,  to  a  real  Theological  Semi- 
nary. There  had  never  been  entire  unity  in  regard  to  the 
grade  of  the  school.  Some  were  in  favor,  perhaps  the 
most,  of  an  institution  which  finally  took  form  under  the 
name  of  "The  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute;"  others 
were  in  favor  of  a  Theological  Seminary ;  while  others  were 
in  favor  of  a  College  proper  with  authority  to  confer 
Degrees. 

While  Mr.  Hayden  was  Principal  his  prominent  aim 
was  "to  implant  deeply  in  the  heart  of  every  student,  the 
code  of  morals  found  in  the  New  Testament,  based  on  the 
superlatively  glorious  and  immutable  facts  of  Sacred  His- 
tory ;"  and  "it  was  deliberately  and  firmly  resolved  that  this 
instruction  should  ever  be  held  paramount  in  all  its  classic 
arrangements."  To  the  rule  that,  "the  Bible  must  be  taken 
into  the  school  as  a  book  of  study ;  its  facts  must  be  studied ; 
and  its  own  pure  and  perfect  morality  must  be  daily  urged 
upon  the  consciences  of  the  students,  in  view  of  its  fearful 
sanctions,"  Mr.  Playden  adhered  through  his  entire  admin- 
istration.    June  9,  1858,  a  large  number  of  the  friends  of 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1S57-1S63.  II9 

the  Institute  met  in  Hiram  to  consider  the 
Convention  character  of  the  changes  they  desired,  and 

to  form  a  recommendation  to  the  Board 
of  Trustees  then  in  session.  The  following  Preamble  and 
Resolutions  were  adopted  and  sent  to  the  Board  of  Trustees 
for  their  action :  Whereas,  It  has  been  shown,  that  the 
great  want  of  our  brotherhood  is  a  Theological  Seminary, 
be  it  therefore 

Resolved,  That  we  ask  of  the  Trustees  and  stockholders 
of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  that  the  school  be  so  changed  as  to 
meet  that  demand,  and  that  anything  of  its  present  charac- 
ter be  subordinate. 

Resolved,  That  in  case  the  recommendation  of  this  con- 
vention, to  make  the  Eclectic  Institute  a  Theological  Semi- 
nary, be  favorably  entertained  by  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  said  Institute,  we  recommend  to  them  farther  to  appoint 
Symonds  Ryder  to  go  before  the  brethren  with  this  plea, 
and  endeavor  to  raise  the  money  to  cancel  the  debts  of  the 
Institute." 

When  these  resolutions  were  sent  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  on  motion  of  Zeb  Rudolph  they  were  taken  up  for 
consideration.  After  due  consideration,  William  Hayden 
moved,  "to  approve  the  first  resolution  and  adopt  it  as  a 
purpose  to  be  carried  out  as  soon  as  practicable."  This  res- 
olution was  unanimously  adopted.  The  second  resolution 
was,  also,  unanimously  adopted,  with  the  addition  of  the 
name  of  James  A.  Garfield  who  with  Symonds  Ryder  was 
"appointed  to  carry  out  the  object  of  the  resolution." 

As  there  were  certain  legal  questions  involved  in  the 
proposed  change,  Symonds  Ryder  was  appointed  to  secure 
"the  necessary  legal  advice"  on  the  following  questions  : 

I — Whether  a  charter  for  a  Theological  Seminary  can 
be  obtained  without  application  to  the  Legislature ;  and  if 
so,  how? 


120  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

2 — How  large  a  proportion  of  the  stockholders  of  the 
Institute  must  consent  to  the  proposed  change,  before  it  can 
be  legally  made. 

3 — In  what  form  can  their  consent  be  lawfully  ob- 
tained?" 

The  President  of  the  Board  was  authorized  to  carry 
out  the  recommendation  of  the  convention,  and  take  "imme- 
diate m.easures  to  transfer  the  real  estate  of  the  Institute 
to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  to  take  from  the  Trustees  a 
mortgage  to  secure  the  Building  Committee  until  the  debts 
of  the  Institute  are  paid." 

Mr.  Garfield  was  appointed  a  committee  to  correspond 
with  the  stockholders  and  others,  "with  a  view  to  learn  the 
general  sentiment  regarding  the  change  proposed."  The 
President  of  the  Board  was  authorized  to  prepare  a  balance 
sheet,  for  publication,  exhibiting  the  financial  condition  of 
the  Institute.     And,  finally,  it  was 

"Resolved,  That,  whenever,  in  the  opinion  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  living  in  Hiram,  it  shall  be  deemed  neces- 
sary to  call  a  convention  of  the  friends  and  stockholders  of 
the  Institute,  to  perfect  the  proposed  change,  it  shall  be  their 
duty  to  issue  such  a  call." 

The  proper  steps  were  taken  to  vest  the  title  of  the  real 
estate  in  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  the  bond  and  mortgage 
ordered  were  executed.  And  here  the  effort  to  create  a 
Theological  Seminary  out  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic 
Institute  ceased  to  be  a  question  for  consideration,  and  noth- 
ing came  out  of  it  unless  the  Course  of  Lectures  given  in 
1866  and  1867  by  Isaac  Errett  and  others,  may  have  been  the 
result  of  the  agitation.  The  records  of  the  Board  do  not 
give  the  reasons  why  the  matter  was  so  speedily  and  com- 
pletely dropped.  The  probabilities  are  that  the  legal  difli- 
culties  were  considerable,  but  that  the  main  reason  was,  the 
intense  conservatism  of  the  Disciples,  their  undying  hos- 


THE  GARFIELD  HOME. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1S63.  121 

tility  towards  sectarianism,  and  their  fear  to  lay  anything 
upon  an  altar  from  which  the  slightest  puff  of  sectarian 
smoke  ascended. 

Not    many   months    passed    before    another   effort    to 

change  the  character  of  the  Institute  was  proposed.     This 

time  the  proposition  was  to  make  it  a  college.     At  the  call 

of  the  President,  November  9,  1858,  there 

First  were  present  at  Hiram  of  the  Board  of 

eso  u  ions         Trustees,  Alvah  Udall,  William  Hayden, 

in  Favor  of  a  '  ,      itt  ^ 

College.  Aaron   Davis,   Frederick   Williams,   Zeb 

Rudolph,  William  Richards,  Alvah  Hum- 
eston  and  W.  J.  Ford.  After  some  miscellaneous  business 
was  disposed  of,  Frederick  Williams  offered  the  following 
Preamble  and  Resolutions : 

"Whereas,  The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Western  Re- 
serve Eclectic  Institute,  a  Seminary  of  learning,  believing 
that  it  is  desirable  and  for  the  interest  of  said  Institute,  to 
reorganize  under  the  provisions  of  'An  Act,  entitled  an  Act 
to  authorize  Seminaries  of  Learning  to  change  their  names 
and  become  Colleges,"  passed  April  8,  1856;  therefore, 
Resolved,  That  the  name  of  said  Institute  be,  and  the  same 
is  hereby  changed  to  Hiram  College.* 

Resolved,  That  under  the  provisions  of  said  Act,  the 
said  Institute,  as  aforesaid,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  or- 
dered to  be  organized  as  a  College,  with  full  collegiate  pow- 
ers, and  privileges  to  confer  upon  the  graduates  of  said  Col- 
lege the  usual  degrees  granted  by  colleges,  etc. 

Resolved,  That  said  Board  of  Trustees  be  instructed  to 
take,  at  such  time  as  the  Board  may  order,  all  the  necessary 
steps  to  carry  into  effect  these  resolutions." 


*The  name  of  the  College  was  apparently  not  given  in  this  reso- 
lution when  it  was  passed,  but  was  inserted  afterwards.  The  resolu- 
tion was  adopted  with  the  space  for  the  name  unfilled. 

—r.  M.  Green. 


122  HISTORY    OP    lUKAM    COLLEGK. 

The  moiion  lo  adopt  these  resolutions  was  -made  by 
Frederick  Williams  and  seconded  by  William  Hayden  and 
received  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  members  of  the  Board 
present,  on  November  lo,   1858. 

Here  the  matter  rested  until  the  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  February  20,  1867,  when  at  a  meeting,  in 
Hiram,  at  which  were  present  Alvah  Udall,  BI.  Ryder.  A. 
S.  Hayden,  J.  H.  Rhodes,  Zeb  Rudolph,  and  W.  J.  Ford, 
Mr.  Ford  offered  the  following  resolution  which  Vv'as 
unanimously  adopted :  "Resolved',  That  the  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute, be  instructed  and  he  is  hereby  authorized  to  take  all  the 
steps  necessary  to  carry  out  the  letter  and  spirit  of  a  resolu- 
tion passed  by  the  Board  in  a  meeting  held  November  10, 
1858,  making  the  Eclectic  Institute  a  College;  and  that  the 
name  of  the  College  shall  be  Hira?.i  College,  and  so  en- 
tered upon  the  Portage  County  and  State  Records." 

The  Civil  War  dealt  Hiram  as  it  did  many  other  sim- 
ilar institutions  in  the  North,  a  very  hard  blow.  "Many 
,   ,  students  went  into  the  arm}^,  and  others 

Hiram  and  the  .   -^ 

„.  .,  .„  fell  out  of  the  school  owing  to  the  dis- 

Civil  War.  ° 

turbed  state  of  the  country,  while  new 
ones  came  in  slowly.  Garfield  left  to  return  no  more, 
and  other  teachers  soon  followed,  Rhodes  in  the  winter  of 
'63-*64  and  Everest  the  next  summer.  Partial  disorganiza- 
tion reigned  until  the  Institute  was  merged  into  the  College. 
Sometimes  the  Trustees  failed  to  meet  at  the  stated  time, 
and  when  they  did  m.eet  they  did  not  always  know  what  to 
do.  They  were  sometimes  obliged  to  take  as  teachers  those 
whom  they  could  get,  and  did  not  always  receive  those 
whom  they  wanted.  At  last  there  was  a  new  Principal  every 
year,  and  when  the  doors  closed  in  the  spring  nobody  could 
tell  who  would  be  the  head  in  the  fall.  iMiss  Booth  held  on 
resolutely  until  1866.  when  the  state  of  her  parents'  health 


THE    GARFIKLD    ADMINISTRATION,     1S57-1863.  123 

compelled  her  to  retire.     Much  good  teaching  was  done  in 
all  these  years,  but  the  school  was  weak  and  unstable."* 

The  sentiment  of  the  people  of  Hiram  as  of  all  the 
Western  Reserve,  was  that  of  unmistakable  and  devoted 
loyalty  to  the  Government  in  its  efforts  to  preserve  the 
Union  of  the  States.  Comparatively  few  uttered  the  growl 
of  the  traitor,  and  refused  to  sustain  the  Government  at 
Washington  in  its  hour  of  peril.  But  there  were  a  few 
who  tried  to  uphold  the  "Stars  and  Bars"  instead  of  the 
"Stars  and  Stripes."  Occasionally  one  of  the  students  "ad- 
vocated such  sentiments"  that  the  loyal  girls  of  the  "Olive 
Branch"  drowned  the  words  of  the  "rebel  orator" 
Avith  the  lusty  volume  of  their  patriotic  songs. 
The  neighborhood  squire  was  roused  from  his  slum- 
bers, and  "hurriedly  brought  upon  the  scene  of  ac- 
tion" to  administer  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  "refrac- 
tory copperhead."  May  22,  1863.  the  Hesperian  Society 
gave  an  entertainment  in  their  hall  and  as  a  part  of  it,  a 
member  of  the  society  delivered  an  oration  on  the  subject, 
"Once  Happy  America,"  in  which  "he  advocated  such  senti- 
ments that  the  Olivites,  who  were  present,  or  at  least  a  large 
share  of  them  vacated,  and  began  singing  patriotic  melodies 
suitable  for  the  occasion."  The  tumult  in  the  hall  was  so 
great  that  it  was  impossible  to  complete  the  program,  and 
the  society  finally  adjourned.  The  person  who  was  the 
center  of  the  tumult  in  speaking  of  the  matter  afterwards 
said  :  "When  I  started  down  stairs  v/ith  two  or  three  friends, 
the  mob  gathered  at  the  foot  ready  to  devour,  I  essayed  to 
ask  them  a  few  questions,  but  Mr.  Hinsdale,  who  had  been 
called  in  and  now  stood  on  the  stairs  beside  me,  stopped  me, 
saying  it  would  be  of  no  use  for  me  to  speak.  Timothy 
Newcomb  was  called  out  of  his  bed  to  administer  the  oath 


*"Tlie  Eclectic  Institute,"  by  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  pp.  15-16. 


124  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE, 

of  allegiance  to  this  refractory  copperhead.  After  some 
parleying  it  was  changed  to  an  oath  to  support  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States.  While  doubting  his  authority  to 
administer,  I  did  not  doubt  the  propriety  under  the  circum- 
stances of  my  taking  it.  I  told  him  I  would  cheerfully  take 
that  oath  every  day  in  the  week.  Discretion  was  the  better 
part  of  valor  in  the  matter,  for  it  was  just  a  little  uncertain 
in  those  days  what  an  enraged  crowd  w-ould  do  with  a  man 
if  they  got  him  into  their  clutches,  especially  in  the  night. 
I  was  willing  to  forego  any  frog-pond  immersion  or  outside 
tar  application  as  suggested.  I  withdrew  my  name  from 
the  Society  that  evening  as  did  several  others.  Afterwards, 
I  believe,  they  went  through  the  form,  of  expelling  us,  but  I 
don't  know  that  I  ever  harbored  many  ill-feelings  over  the 
matter.  It  was  a  part  of  the  times."*  It  was,  indeed,  so 
much  a  "part  of  the  times,"  and  caused  such  a  distinct  sen- 
sation in  Hiram,  that  Gen.  Garfield  from  the  Headquarters 
of  the  Department  of  the  Cumberland,  at  Murfreesboro, 
Tenn.,  under  date  of  May  26,  1863,  wrote  to  B.  A.  Hinsdale 
as  follows :  "Tell  all  those  copperhead  students  for  me  that, 
were  I  there  in  charge  of  the  school,  I  would  not  only  dis- 
honorably dismiss  them  from  the  school,  but,  if  they  re- 
mained in  the  place  and  persisted  in  their  cowardly  treason, 
I  would  apply  to  Gen.  Burnside  to  enforce  General  Order 
No.  38  in  their  cases. 

If  these  young  traitors  are  in  earnest  they  should  go  to 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  where  they  can  receive  full  sym- 
pathy. Tell  them  all  that  I  will  furnish  them  passes  through 
our  lines,  where  they  can  join  Vallandigham  and  their  other 
friends  till  such  time  as  they  can  destroy  us  and  come  back 
home  as  conquerors  of  their  own  people,  or  can  learn  wisdom 
and  obedience. 


♦Hesperian  Reunion  Address,  hj  A.  Squire,  1876. 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1S57-1863.  125 

I  know  this  is  apparently  a  small  matter,  but  it  is  only 
apparently  small.  We  do  not  know  what  the  developments 
of  a  m.onth  may  bring  forth,  and,  if  such  things  be  permitted 
at  Hiram,  they  may  anywhere.  The  Rebels  catch  up  all 
such  facts  as  sweet  morsels  of  comfort,  and  every  such  in- 
fluence lengthens  the  war  and  adds  to  the  bloodshed." 

A  complete  roster  of  all  who  enlisted  in  the  Union  army, 
of  Hiram  students,  has  never  been  made ;  but  the  Delphic 
and  Hesperian  Societies  furnished  a  large  number  whose 
names  they  have  sacredly  enrolled.  For  the  three  years, 
1861,  1862  and  1863  when  enlistments  were  most  numerous, 
the  Delphic  had  an  aggregate  active  membership  of  202,  and 
the  Hesperian  of  198.  Of  these  members,  those  who  were 
at  the  time  of  their  enlistment  members  or  had  been  mem- 
bers in  one  or  more  of  these  years  of  the  Hesperian  Society 
were  79,  and  of  the  Delphic  56.  It  is  a  list  of  noble  names  and 
worthy  of  long  remembrance.  Of  course  Hiram's  leading 
soldier  was  Mr.  Garfield  who  in  his  short  service  of  less 
than  three  years  won  the  eagles  of  a  Colonel,  and  the  stars 
of  a  Brigadier  and  Major  General ;  but  the  service  of  all 
from  privates  to  generals  was  creditable,  and  often  conspic- 
uous. These  men  were  found  in  nearly  every  arm  of  the 
service,  infantry,  artillery  and  cavalry.  No  invidious  com- 
parisons should  be  made  in  regard  to  the  relative  patriotism 
displayed  by  the  two  societies,  then  as  now,  rivals  for  the 
best.  Each  did  the  best  it  could,  and  each  is  entitled  to  the 
honor  of  supplying  from  its  own  loved  and  bravest,  some 
of  the  best  and  mightiest  defenders  of  the  Nation.  And 
the  names  of  these  young  men  who  helped  to  fill  the  ranks 
of  the  42nd,  the  23rd,  the  41st,  the  45th,  the  7th,  and  other 
regiments  of  Infantry ;  the  squadrons  of  Ohio  cavalry ;  and 
the  battalions  of  Ohio  artillery,  can  never  be  spoken  in 
Hiram's  ears,  without  feeling  the  touch  of  their  manly 
fingers,  and  hearing  the  tread  of  their  marching  feet.  Hiram 


126  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

"Gave  with  prayers  and  tears, 
With  mingled  hopes  and  fears, 
Her  bravest  sons,  her  treasures  rare; 
In  silent  grief  she  leaves  them  there, 
Where  glory  lies."* 

(-1//^^  A.  A.  Booth.) 

The  annual  "Commencement  Days"  were  looked  upon 

as  great  days  during  the  period  covered  by  Mr.  Garfield's 

administration.     The    crowds    that    seemingly   came    from 

evervwhere  on  these  June  days  were  enor- 
Commencements.  '  n  i 

mous.     ihey    were    generally   good    na- 

tured,  w'ell-behaved,  and  interested  in  the  literary  and  mu- 
sical features  of  the  occasions.  The  "marshals"  were 
selected  from  the  student  body,  and  decorated  in  their 
bright  sashes  with  brilliant  badges,  highly  magnified  their 
offices  and  were  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes.  The  "Bedford 
Tent"  under  which  thousands  could  be  seated,  was  spread 
to  its  utmost  limits.  The  character  of  the  programmes 
varied  but  little  from  those  that  had  preceded  them.  ]\Iorc 
of  the  performers,  perhaps,  had  had  experience  in  w-riting 
essays  and  preparing  orations,  than  those  who  appeared  on 
earlier  programmes. 

The  following  programme  presented  June  7.  i860,  rep- 
resents, probably,  more  of  those  knowm  as  "old  students" 
than  any  other  in  this  period : 

fovcnoon. 

MUSIC,  -  -  -  "Hail!   Festal  Day" 

1  ESSAY,  -  -  -  A  Page  from  the  Book  of  Life 

Elizabeth  A.  Woodward,  Lordsto-ujn 

2  ESSAY,  ...  -  -      South  Sea  Islands 

Addie  M.  Robbins,  Solon 

3  ESSAY,  Pipes 

Minerva  E.  Tuttle,  Palmyra 


*See  Appendix  for  names,  regiments  and  rank. 


127 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863. 

4  ESSAY,  -  -  .  .  Between  the  Tropics 

JULIAETTK  CoMSTOCK,  Mentor 
MUSIC,  -         "Lo !  the  Rosy  Morning  Breaking" 

5  ESSAY,  ....  Sugar-Coated  Pills 

Myra  E.   Robbins,  Solon 

^     "  •  -.--..         Miscellanj 

Eliza  E.  Clapp,  Hiram;  Mattie  Rvdolph,  Garreifsvti/a 

7  ESSAY,  -  -  -  Knights  of  the  Round  Table 

Louisa  M.  Letcher,  JVest  Unity 
MUSIC,  -  -  -  "Away!  Away!" 

8  ESSAY,  .....         Isabella  of  Spain 

Sabrina  M.  Capron,  Auburn 

9  ESSAY, We're  All  Singers 

Henrietta  M.  James,  Troy 
.0     ESSAY,  -  -  -  -  At  Home  and  Abroad 

Mary  E.  Turner,  Cleveland 
il     "THE  MUSES;   OR  THE  CROWNING  OF 

FLORENCE    NIGHTINGALE" 

Discussion  : 

Is  the  Government  of  the  United  States  superior  to  that  of 

Great  Britain  ? 

Aff.— J.  W.  Nelson,  Auburn;  H.  C.  Nelson,  Brecksville 

Nrg.— M.  J.  Richards,  Solon\  H.  D.  Carlton,  Hiram 

MUSIC,  .  -  "Star  Spangled  Banner" 


Htternoon. 

MUSIC,  .... 

1  GERMAN  SALUTATORY, 

B.  G.  Hank,  Hiram 

2  ORATION, 

3  ORATION, 

4  ORATION, 


'Anthem  " 


Goethe 

The  Ni  e 


M.  S.  Clark,  Freedom 

The  Beautiful  an  Educator 
F.  M.  Green,  Sharon 

Egotism 
Amzi  Atwater,  Mautua 

MUSIC 

5  ORATION,  -  -  -  Japan  and  the  Japanese 

S.    P.    Nkwcomb,  Hiram 

6  ORATION,  -  -  .  The  March  of  Empire 

H.  S.  GlaS[KR,  Bedford 

7  ORATION,  ....       The  Heir  of  the  Ages 

F.  H.  Mason,  Niles 

8  ORATION, Duelling 

L.  J.  Brown,  Freedom 
MUSIC,  -  -  "  Bright  Flag  of  America" 

9  ORATION,  .  -  The  Teachings  of  Revolution 

C.  A.  DuDLKV,  Freedom 


128  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

10  -  -  -  •  -  -  -  North  and  South 

B.  A.  Hinsdale,  Wads-wortJi ;  H.  S.  Chambkrlin,  Solon 
MUSIC,  -  -  "Hail  to  Thee.  Liberty!" 

11  ORATION, Sir  John  Franklin 

H.  C.  White,  Neivburgh 

12  VALEDICTORY,  -  -  -  Individual  Worth 

F.  A.  Williams,  Ravenna 
MUSIC,  -  -        "We  Love  Our  Native  Hills" 

Quite  a  number  of  the  performers  on  this  eventful  day 
are  yet  living,  but  many  of  them  are  dead.  Elizabeth  A. 
Woodward  died  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Rhodes,  and  Addie  M. 
Robbins  survives  him  as  his  widow.  Eliza  E.  Clapp  bears 
in  her  long  widowhood  the  sacred  name  of  H.  S.  Glasier. 
Mattie  Rudolph  is  yet  living,  honored  by  her  children  and 
friends  and  honoring  the  name  of  her  lamented  husband,  H. 
D.  Carlton.  Sabrina  M.  Capron  is  yet  queen  in  the  home  of 
Henry  C.  White.  ]\Iary  E.  Turner  is  the  faithful  wife  of  B. 
A.  Hinsdale.  M.  S.  Clark  is  an  M.  D.  of  good  repute  in 
Youngstown,  Ohio.  F.  M.  Green  yet  lives  forty  years  older 
than  when  this  programme  was  presented.  Amzi  Atwater 
still  honors  the  name  so  familiar  from  Hiram's  first  days.  S. 
P.  Newcomb  honors  lov/a,  his  adopted  state.  F.  H.  Mason 
is  one  of  the  best  Consuls  the  United  States  has  ever  had 
in  France  or  Germany.  B.  A.  Hinsdale  has  reached  an 
eminence  as  a  close  and  subtile  thinker  and  educator,  higher 
than  any  of  his  Hiram  fellowship.  H.  S.  Chamberlain  is 
one  of  the  "iron  kings"  of  the  south.  F.  A.  Williams 
sleeps  in  a  soldier's  grave ;  and  Henry  C.  White  is,  and  has 
been,  for  many  years,  the  upright  Judge  of  the  Probate 
Court  in  the  banner  city  and  county  of  Ohio.  And  the  rest, 
their  names  are  precious,  whether  they  be  living  or  dead. 

The  grounds  on  which  the  College  buildings  now  stand, 
have  been  justly  admired,  in  recent  years.  When  the  old 
College  building  was  erected,   the  enclosure,   of  which  it 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1S57-1S63.  1 29 

was  the  center  was  mostly  a  ploughed  field. 

^^*  Several  years  passed  before  any  attempt 

Hiram    Campus.  ,       .  ,       .,  r  , 

was  made  to  grade  its  suriace,  or  to 
adorn  it.  No  trees  except  a  few  fruit  trees  were  within  its 
limits.  In  the  year  i857-'58  Mr.  Garfield  stirred  up  con- 
siderable enthusiasm  among  the  students,  by  proposing  that 
the  campus  be  planted  with  evergreen  and  forest  trees. 
Many  contributed  to  buy  the  evergreens ;  and  the  maples 
and  elms  were  brought  by  students  from  the  valley  south 
of  the  village.  The  planting  of  these  trees  was  an  event 
of  great  interest  to  the  participants.  The  ir.ost  of  the  trees 
lived  and  grew  and  are  now  the  stately  and  venerable  trees 
on  the  campus.  Some  of  the  boys  whose  relations  to  each 
other  were  intimate  joined  in  the  selection  and  planting  of 
a  tree.  The  large  elm  tree  on  the  circle  near  the  new  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  Building  was  brought  up  from  the  valley  by 
Charles  P.  Bowler  and  F.  M.  Green  and  planted  by  them. 
Some  of  the  trees  on  the  cam^pus  are  ''Class  Trees"  and  were 
planted  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 

The  "Course  of  Study"  during  Mr.  Garfield's  adminis- 
tration was  enlarged  and  strengthened.  Its  teachers  were 
nearly   all   graduates,   or   were   ready   to 

f  Stud  graduate ;  and  the  course  of  study  was 

brought  up  to  correspond  with  the  in- 
crease in  scholarship  and  power  of  the  teachers.  In  1863 
the  curriculum  of  study  demanded : 

First  Year :  Ray's  x-Vrithmetic  ;  Grammar,  Quackenbos' ; 
and  Green's  Analysis;  Camp's  Geography;  Mitchell's  An- 
cient Geography;  Murdoch  and  Russell's  Elocution  ;  Loomis' 
Algebra,  begun ;  Cutler's  Physiology ;  Arnold's  First  and 
Second  Book  in  Latin ;  Cornelius  Ncpos ;  Crosby's  Greek 
Grammar ;  Harkness'  First  Book  in  Greek. 

Second  Year :  Loomis'  Algebra ;  Loomis'  Geometry ; 
Willard's  Ancient  and  Modern  History ;  Warren's  Physical 


130  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Geography;  Well's  Natural  Philosophy;  St.  John's  Geology; 
Arnold's  Prose  Composition;  Virgil,  Schmitz  and  Zumpt's ; 
Anthon's  Sallust ;  Greenfield's  Greek  Testament ;  Crosby's 
Anabasis ;  Fasquelle's  French  Grammar ;  Wood's  Botany ; 
Boise's  Greek  Composition. 

Third  Year :  Loomis'  Trigonometry  and  Surveying ; 
Cicero's  Orations ;  Odes  of  Horace ;  Lincoln's  Livy ;  Owen's 
Tliucydides ;  Anthon's  Llemorabilia ;  Anthon's  Homer ;  Tel- 
emaque;  Charles  XH ;  Woodbury's  German  Grammar; 
Woodbury's  German  Readers ;  Youman's  Chemistry ; 
Olmstead's  Astronomy ;  Quackenbos'  Rhetoric. 

Fourth  Year:  Loomis'  Analytical  Geometry  and  Cal- 
culus ;  Horace,  Satires  and  Epistles ;  Cicero  de  Officiis ; 
Tyler's  Tacitus ;  Demosthenes'  Select  Orations ;  W^oodbury's 
Prometheus ;  Demosthenes  de  Corona ;  Schiller ;  Kame's 
Elements  of  Criticism;  Shaw's  English  Literature;  Way- 
land's  Moral  Science ;  Wayland's  Intellectual  Philosophy ; 
Wayland's  Political  Economy ;  Butler's  Analogy ;  and  Hop- 
kin's  Evidences  of  Christianity. 

This  course  of  study  was  preserved  in  the  main,  until 
the  close  of  the  Eclectic  period. 

When  ]\Ir.  Hayden  retired  in  1857,  after  seven  years  of 
service  as  Principal,  Mr.  Garfield  was  chosen  b}^  his  asso- 
ciates as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Instruction,  and  after- 
wards elected  by  the  Board  of  Trustees 

Close  of  ^g    Principal.     He   continued   to   be   the 

.  /■  .  .^^  ^  .  '       active  head  of  the  School  until  he  entered 
Administration.  .         r,^ 

the  army   m    1801.     After  that  time  he 

held  only  a  nominal  relation  to  the  Institute.  "From  an  ed- 
ucational point  of  view,  those  were  the  golden  days  of  the 
Eclectic  Institute.  The  force  of  teachers  now  became  more 
permanent,  discipline  was  keyed  up  to  a  higher  pitch,  and  a 
new  enthusiasm  was  breathed  into  the  scholars.  The  school 
advanced  its  standing  in  the  estimation  of  the  public.     The 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMINISTRATION,     1857-1863.  I3I 

number  of  students  enrolled  never  quite  equalled  what  it 
had  been  under  the  previous  administration,  but  this  was  due 
to  the  abolition  of  the  Primary  Department.  Naturally,  the 
students  were  more  mature  in  character  and  more  permanent 
as  a  body  than  they  had  been  under  the  previous  adminis- 
tration." The  coming  of  Garfield  to  Hiram  as  its  executive 
head  marked  an  era  in  Hiram  history.  Its  educational  fea- 
tures were  intensified ;  and  while  the  general  Christian  tone 
of  the  school  was  well  preserved,  less  attention  was  given, 
than  formerly,  to  special  doctrines.  Some  of  his  brethren, 
including  prominent  preachers,  were  filled  with  sorrow, 
when  they  saw  the  school  pass  into  Garfield's  hands ;  for 
they  feared  that  under  the  enthusiasms  he  could  command, 
the  school  would  be  cut  loose  from  its  old  moorings,  and 
sail  into  an  unknown  sea  and  touch  on  alien  shores.  But 
their  fears  were  not  realized.  The  school  did  change,  but 
more  by  the  enlargement  of  its  work  and  the  extension  of 
its  horizon  of  influence,  than  in  any  other  direction. 

Perhaps  no  better  summary  of  the  plans,  spirit  and  work 
of  Hiram  during  the  entire  period  of  the  Eclectic  Institute 
can  be  given  than  in  Mr.  Garfield's  own  words  at  the  "Re- 
union of  1880."     Mr.  John  M.  Atwater 
Mr.  Garfield's       j^^j  discussed  "Our  Ideals  of  Life  and 

^(  «;  o^  T  t  Character"   with   beauty  of   diction   and 

01  Hiram  L.iie.  -^ 

Strength  of  expression,  and  Mr.  A.  S. 
Hayden  had  laurelled  the  memory  of  some  famous  members 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  when  Mr.  Garfield  said :  "To  my 
mind  the  historv  of  Hiram  College,  and  the  institution  on 
which  the  College  was  built,  divides  itself  into  two  chapters. 
1  he  first,  both  in  time,  and  perhaps  in  importance,  should 
be  headed,  what  other  people  did  for  it ;  and  the  second  is, 
what  did  Hiram  do  for  itself?  You  have  heard  one  rela- 
tive to  the  founders.  They  were  pioneers  in  this  Western 
Reserve.  They  were  all  men  of  energy,  great  force  of  char- 
acter, and  nearly  all  of  them  men  of  small  means,  but  they 


132  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

planted  this  Institution.  In  1850  it  was  a  cornfield  with  a 
soHd  plain  brick  building  in  the  center  of  it ;  and  almost  all 
the  rest  has  been  done  by  the  Institution  itself.  This  is  the 
second  chapter.  Without  a  dollar  of  endowment,  without 
a  powerful  friend  anywhere,  but  with  a  corps  of  teachers 
who  were  told  to  go  on  the  ground  and  see  what  they  could 
make  out  of  it,  and  to  find  their  pay  out  of  the  tuitions  that 
should  be  received,  who  invited  students  of  their  own  spirit 
to  come  here  and  find  out  by  trial  what  they  could  make  of 
it ;  and  the  response  has  been  their  chapter  of  work,  and  the 
chief  part  of  the  response  I  see  in  the  faces  gathered  before 
me  to-day.  It  was  a  simple  question  of  sinking  or  swim- 
ming. I  know  we  are  all  inclined  to  be  a  little  clannish — 
perhaps  we  have  a  right  to  be, — but  I  do  not  know  of  any 
place,  I  do  not  know  of  any  institution,  that  has  accom- 
plished more  with  so  little  means  than  this  school  on  Hiram 
Hill.  I  know  of  no  place  where  the  doctrine  of  self-help 
has  had  a  fuller  development,  by  necessity  as  well  as  by 
favor,  than  here  on  this  hill.  The  doctrine  of  the  survival 
of  the  fittest  found  its  place  amongst  these  men  and  women 
gathered  here.  As  I  said  about  them  a  great  many  years 
ago — the  theory  of  Hiram  was  to  throw  its  young  men  and 
women  overboard  and  let  them  try  it  for  themselves,  and  all 
that  were  fit  to  get  ashore  got  there,  and  I  think  we  had  few 
cases  of  drowning  anywhere.  Now,  when  I  look  over  these 
faces,  and  mark  the  several  geological  ages  so  well  repre- 
sented by  Mr.  Atwater  in  his  address,  I  note  one  curious 
fact  where  the  geological  analogy  does  not  hold :  I  find  no 
fossils — no  fossils  at  all.  Some  are  dead  and  glorified  in 
our  memories,  but  those  who  are  alive,  are  alive,  I  think  all. 
The  teachers  and  the  students  of  this  school  built  it  up  in 
every  sense — they  made  the  cornfield  into  that  handsome 
campus.  These  evergreens  you  see  across  the  road  they 
planted.  I  well  remember  the  da}"-  they  turned  out  and 
went  into  the  woods  to  find  beautiful  maples,  and  brouglit 
them  in — when  they  purchased  these  evergreens — when  each 
young  man  for  himself,  and  perhaps  a  second  for  some 
young  lady  that  he  loved,  planted  one  or  two  trees  on  the 
campus,  and  named  them  after  himself.  There  are  many 
"here  with  moist  eyes  to-day  that  can  point  out  the  tree  that 


THE    GARFIELD    ADMIXISTRATION,     1S57-1863.  133 

Bowler  planted.  Bowler  was  shot  through  the  heart  at  Ce- 
dar Mountain.  Many  of  you  can  point  out  trees,  big  trees 
now,  called  after  you  many  years  ago.  I  believe,  outside  of 
the  physical  features  of  the  place,  that  there  was  a  stronger 
pressure  of  work  to  the  square  inch  in  the  boilers  that  ran 
this  establishment  than  any  other  I  know  of.  Young  men 
and  women,  rough,  crude,  untutored  farmer  boys  and 
farmer  girls,  came  here  to  try  themselves  and  find  what 
manner  of  people  they  were.  They  came  here  to  go  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery  to  discover  themselves.  In  many  cases 
I  hope  the  discovery  was  fortunate  in  all  that  was  worthy 
of  trying,  and  the  friendships  that  were  formed  out  of  that 
struggle  have  followed  this  group  of  people  longer  and 
farther  than  almost  any  I  have  ever  known  in  my  life.  Thev 
are  scattered  all  over  the  United  States,  in  every  field  of 
activity,  and  if  I  had  the  tim.e  to  name  them  the  sun  would 
go  down  before  I  had  finished." 

Notwithstanding  there  was  considerable  opposition  to 
Mr.  Garfield  at  the  beginning  of  his  administration,  it  had 
mostly  ceased  when  he  finally  bid  its  classrooms  farewell. 
Young  Hiram  was  always  on  his  side  and  clothed  itself  in 
the  glory  of  the  coming  days  of  his  greatness,  which  they 
enthusiastically  foretold  and  fondly  anticipated.  The  foun- 
dation of  the  future  College  was  being  laid,  that  necessarily 
must  have  a  broader  view  and  a  wider  constituency  tlian 
the  humble  academy  just  chiselled  out  of  the  woods. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Eclectic  Ixstitute — Its  Later  Life  axd  Close. 
1 863- 1 867. 

The  active  work  of  Mr.  Garfield  as  head  of  the  Eclectic 
Institute  ceased  when  he  entered  the  army  in  1861,  and  he 
formally  tendered  his  resignation  as  Principal  to  the  Board 

of  Trustees ;  but,  hoping  that  he  might 

Formal  return  soon,  and  resume  his  work  in  the 

M    G    fi  Id         Institute,  it  w^as  not  accepted  until  June 

II,  1863.  November  18,  1861,  Mr.  H. 
W.  Everest  was  "constituted  and  appointed  Principal  of  the 
Institute ;  with  full  power  and  authority  to  act  as  such,  until 
the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  until 
a  regular  election  shall  be  held ;  and  until  his  successor  shall 
be  duly  elected  and  qualified."  This  commission  was  given 
to  Mr.  Everest  by  Alvah  Udall,  the  President  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  because,  "it  was  inconvenient  for  the  Board  of 
Trustees  to  meet  and  hold  a  regular  election"  at  that  time. 
June  II,  1862,  the  Board,  not  willing  to  entirely  release  Mr. 
Garfield,  elected  Mr.  Everest  to  "act  as  Principal  Pro  Tern 
in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Garfield."  With  him  were  associated 
J.  H.  Rhodes,  Almeda  A.  Booth,  and  B.  A.  Hinsdale  as 
teacher  in  the  English  Department.     All  of  these  except 

Mr.  Hinsdale,  had  already  won  a  "good 

B.  A.  Hinsdale       degree"  as  teachers  in  the  Eclectic.     In 

a  Teacher.  ^^^  ^.^^  ending  June,  1861,  Mr.  Hinsdale 

had  been  named  in  the  Catalogue  as  an  "Assistant  Teacher." 

With  these  years,  the  formal  introduction  of  Mr.  Hinsdale, 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSC,     1863-1S67.  I35 

as  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  Hiram's  long  list  of  teachers, 

is  found.     Mr.  Everest  continued  to  act  as  Principal  until 

the  summer  of  1864  when  he  closed  his  long  and  honorable 

relation  to  the  Institute,  and  went  forth  to  return  no  more. 

Much  of  the  early  student  and  teacher  life  at  Hiram 

surrounds  the  name  of  Harvey  W.  Everest.     He  came  to 

Hiram  in  1852  a  young  man  twenty-one  years  of  age.     He 

was    born    at     North     Hudson,     Essex 

.    veres         County,  New  York,  May  10,  1831.     At 

and  Hiram.  •"  y  j         '         ^  ^ 

the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  a  teacher  m  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  town.  He  was  a  student  with 
Mr.  Garfield  in  the  Geauga  Seminary  at  Chester,  Ohio,  and 
came  to  Hiram  about  one  year  later.  Here  he  prepared 
himself  for  College  and  in  1854,  he  with  C.  C.  Foote,  Ster- 
ling McBride,  A.  B.  Way,  and  others  entered  Bethany  Col- 
lege, intending  to  take  his  degree  from  that  institution.  But 
the  conditions  surrounding  Bethany  at  that  time  were  not 
congenial,  and  he  soon  left  the  place  and  the  College.  He 
entered  Oberlin  College  where  he  graduated  in  1861.  In 
1855-6  he  was  elected  "Teacher  of  Natural  Sciences"  in 
the  Eclectic  Institute,  which  place  he  held  until  1862,  when 
he  was  made  Principal  Pro.  Ton.  of  the  Institute.  He  held 
this  position  until  he  left  Pliram  in  1864.  May  16,  1864, 
he  notified  the  Board  of  Trustees  that  he  had  accepted  th.e 
Presidency  of  Eureka  College,  and  placed  his  resignation 
in  their  hands.  On  his  resignation  the  Board  passed  tlie 
following  resolution :  "We  recognize  Prof.  H.  W.  Everest 
as  one  of  the  ablest  teachers  of  this  Institute  ;  and  in  him  this 
Board  recognize  the  qualities  of  a  fine  scholar,  a  high-minded 
gentleman,  and  a  true  Christian  ;  and,  that  in  his  leaving, 
this  Institution  loses  one  who  has  long  and  faithfully  dis- 
charged all  the  duties  that  have  been  imposed  upon  him  in 
the  various  positions  in  which  he  has  been  placed  in  connec- 
tion with  said  Institute;  and  this  Board  cheerfully  reconi- 


'o 


6  HISTORY    OP    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 


mend  him  to  the  confidence  of  the  Brotherhood  and  the 
pubhc  in  general."  He  remained  in  Eureka  for  nearly  eight 
years,  leaving  there  in  1872  to  become  the  pastor  of  the 
Christian  Church  at  Springfield,  Illinois.  In  1874  he  ac- 
cepted a  professorship  in  Kentucky  University  at  Lexing- 
ton, and  rem.ained  there  two  years.  Then  after  serving  the 
Christian  church  as  pastor,  at  Normal,  Illinois,  for  one  year, 
he  became,  in  1877,  a  second  time,  President  of  Eureka  Col- 
lege. In  the  spring  of  1881  he  accepted  the  presidency  of 
Butler  University  at  Irvington,  Ind.,  and  served  there  until 
1886.  He  then  went  to  Wichita,  Kansas,  to  undertake  as 
Chancellor,  the  responsible  and  laborious  work  of  organiz- 
ing Garfield  University.  At  its  suspension  in  1890  in  con- 
sequence of  a  failure  in  the  financial  management,  he  be- 
came pastor  of  the  Christian  Church  at  Hutchinson,  Kansas. 
In  1 89 1  he  was  elected  to  the  Southern  Illinois  State  Nor- 
m.al  University  at  Carbondale,  where  he  remained  until  he 
was  elected  Dean  of  the  College  of  the  Bible  in  Drake  Uni- 
versity, at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  which  place  he  occupied  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  May  21,  1900. 

He  was  the  author  of  two  books  which  were  largely  the 
product  of  his  study  and  teaching  in  the  class  room.  "The 
Divine  Demonstration — A  Text  Book  of  Christian  Evi- 
dence" published  in  1884,  has  been  used  in  a  large  number 
of  Colleges  as  a  Text  Book  on  the  subject  of  which  it  treats. 
His  second  book  "Science  and  Pedagogy  of  Ethics"  was 
published  in  1899.  These  books  show  the  clear  and  critical 
scholar  and  thinker,  the  wise  counsellor,  and  the  humble 
Christian  man.  He  was  always  most  at  home  where  the 
Christian  religious  element  was  predominant.  When  he 
came  to  Drake  University  he  said :  'T  am  thankful  every  day 
for  my  change  from  the  Carbondale  (Illinois)  State  Nor- 
mal University  to  Drake  University.  I  am  expecting  much 
from  the  change  of  climate,  but  more  from  the  change  of 


III1{AM  CC^Ll.EGE:     As  Remodeled  in  18.S0 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867.  137 

work.  There  I  taught  one  or  two  classes  each  day,  but  was 
mainly  occupied,  as  President,  in  adjusting  and  oiling  the 
machinery.  Here  I  am  occupied  v;ith  classes  and  have  to 
do  with  science  and  practical  life.  There  I  was  helping  to 
train  teachers  for  public  schools,  but  here  I  am  assisting 
those  who  would  prepare  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ.  In 
a  State  school  one's  religious  views  must  be  held  in  abey- 
ance ;  in  this  school  Christianity  is  uppermost  and  all  else 
is  subordinate.  I  rejoice  in  my  freedom,  and  in  my  higher 
work.""^  He  alv/ays  bore  an  unblemished  character,  and 
filled  every  post  of  honor  and  responsibility  to  which  he  was 
called  with  distinguished  ability,  fidelity  and  success.  He 
was  the  soul  of  honor,  and  believed  that :  "Honor  is  a  harder 
master  than  the  law,  for  it  cannot  compromise  for  less  than 
one  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  its  debts  never  outlaw." 
He  administered  the  complex  and  perplexing  affairs  of  the 
various  executive  offices  to  which  he  was  called  with  ability 
and  wisdom.  As  a  preacher  and  a  writer  he  ranked  higli. 
but  the  schoolroom  was  his  kingdom  over  which  he  reigned, 
everywhere  and  always,  with  noble  and  manly  dignity,  and 
with  the  scepter  of  an  unselfish,  consecrated,  Christian  char- 
acter. 

Hiram  college  is  largely  indebted  to  him  for  its  solid 
worth  and  its  integrity  as  a  Christian  institution  of  learning. 

In  1863  the  Board  of  Trustees  adopted  a  resolution 
assessing  a  fee  of  twenty-five  cents  per  term  from  each 
student  to  create  a  contingent  fund  to  be  applied  "to  printing 
catalogues  and  other  incidental  expenses." 
p  The  financial  condition  of  the  school  was 

stringent,  the  tuition  receipts  were  the 
only  funds  available  to  pay  instructors.  As  might  be  sup- 
posed, the  salaries  of  teachers  were  so  small  as  to  be  almost 

*From  "  Doctrine  and  Life,"  by  Iowa  writers,  p.  20. 


138  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

insignificant,  and  teaching  was  a  labor  of  love.  This  fact 
goes  a  good  ways  towards  explaining  the  frequent  changes 
in  the  executive  and  teaching  force.  At  the  same  time,  all 
of  the  most  prominent  teachers  remained  a  number  of  years, 
becoming  completely  identified  with  the  school  and  doing  an 
amount  of  excellent  teaching  in  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice 
that  has  never  been  properly  appreciated  but  by  the  few. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Everest  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees elected  C.  W.  Heywood  to  act  as  Managing  Principal.* 
His  administration  was  a  brief  one,  covering  the  year  1864- 
65.      Besides    the    management    of     the 

■    0  .    T    ,  school,  Mr.  Heywood  taught  Natural  Sci- 

as  Principal.  '  .       -^  '^  . 

ences,  Classics  and  Rhetoric.  Miss  Booth, 
who  valiantly  remained  at  her  post  during  all  these  years  of 
uncertainty  and  frequent  changes,  was  made  Preceptress ; 
besides  teaching  Modern  Languages,  Classics  and  Mathe- 
m.atics.  It  seemed  impossible,  whatever  other  changes 
might  be  made,  to  get  along  under  any  administration  with- 
out her.  In  1863  the  Board  of  Trustees  had  declared  "that 
in  the  person  of  Miss  Almeda  A.  Booth  the  Institution  has  a 
teacher  whose  wisdom  and  experience  fit  her  to  hold,  under 
any  and  all  arrangements,  a  large  control  in  the  direction 
of  the  affairs  and  government  of  the  school."  Mr.  William 
Lowe  for  a  portion  of  this  year  was  a 
I  lam  teacher  of  Mathem.atics ;  Mr.  L.  G.  Felch 

Lowe. 

taught  in  the  English  Department ;  Miss 

Mary  Buckingham,  History  and  Latin;  Miss  Nellie  Rudolph 
was  the  teacher  of  German;  Miss  Mary  E.  Moore  taught 
Instrumental  Music;  Miss  Julia  A.  Wilson  was  teacher  of 
Landscape  Painting  and  Drawing;  and  Miss  S.  M.  New- 
comb,  teacher  of  Spencerian  Penmanship.  There  is  but  little 
data  on  which  to  base  a  judgment  of  Mr.  Heywood  as  an 

*He  came  from   KingSTiUe  Academy  to  Hiram,  a  graduate  of 
Rochester  University,  and  a  man  of  versatile  talent. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1S63-1867.  I39 

administrator  of  school  affairs.  He  did  the  best  he  could 
under  the  circumstances,  and  he  left  the  Institution  after  his 
brief  service  with  the  reputation  of  a  good  man  and  a  faith- 
ful teacher. 

Mr.  Heywood  was  succeeded  by  A.  J.  Thomson,  who 

acted  as  Managing  Principal  during  the  year  1865-66.    Mr. 

Garfield  was  still  retained  as  Advising  Principal.     When 

Mr.  Thomson  was  secured,  Mr.  Garfield 

■  .   °.   \°         reported  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  that 
as  Principal.  ^ 

the  Committee  on  securing  a  Principal 
and  teachers  "had  engaged  Mr.  A.  J.  Thomson  as  Principal 
at  $1,200  a  year;  Miss  Booth  at  $700;  Mr.  H.  A.  Coffeen  at 
$600 ;  and  Mr.  L.  G.  Felch  at  $400  a  year.  Miss  Booth  still 
held  her  place  as  Preceptress.  Mr.  H.  A.  Coffeen  was  the 
teacher  of  Natural  Science  and  Elocution ;  Mr.  L.  G.  Felch, 
teacher  in  the  English  Department,  and  assistant  teacher  of 
Mathematics ;  Miss  Julia  B.  Treat,  teacher  of  Instrumental 
Music ;  Miss  Emma  L.  Johnson,  teacher  of  Landscape  Paint- 
ing and  Drawing* ;  and  the  Spencer  Brothers,  teachers  of 
Spencerian  Penmanship. 

The  first  name  in  any  catalogue  of  Hiram  in  the  De- 
partment of  Penmanship  is  that  of  Piatt  R.  Spencer.     The 
Institution  was  very  fortunate  to  secure  the  "old  man  elo- 
quent with  the  pen"  to  lead  her  "fore- 

„■  ^  most  files"  in  this  department.   Mr.  Spen- 

Spencer.  ^  ^ 

cer  first  came  to  Hiram  in  1854,  and  the 
Spencer  family  was  identified  with  the  Eclectic  Institute 
until  its  close.  Mr.  Spencer  was  the  originator  and  author 
of  the  "Spencerian  style  and  system"  of  Penmanship,  prob- 
ably not  surpassed  by  any  other  in  America  or  the  world. 


*Miss  Emma  L.  Johnson  became  a  student  at  Hiram  in  the  year 
1857-8.  As  Mrs.  B.  S.  Dean  she  is  yet  a  teacher  in  the  College.  A» 
student  and  teacher  she  has  had,  perhaps,  the  longest  continuous 
relation  to  the  school  of  any  person. 


140  HISTORY    OF    KIRAM    COLLEGE. 

He  was  born  in  East  Fishkill,  New  York,  near  the  Catskill 
mountains,  November  7,  1800.  He  was  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  eleven  children.  His  father  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolution.  He  died  while  Piatt  v/as  yet  a  mere  child,  and 
the  widowed  mother,  with  New  England  courage  and  reso- 
lution, sought  a  home  in  the  pioneer  lands  of  northern  Ohio ; 
and  much  of  Mr.  Spencer's  work  v/as  accomplished  under 
the  difficulties  and  discouragements  incident  to  the  frontier 
life.  The  family  came  in  a  wagon  from  the  State  of  Nev/ 
York  to  Jefferson,  Ashtabula  county,  Ohio.  It  was  a  Vi-in- 
ter's  journey  of  fifty-one  days.  He  was  then  ten  years  of 
age.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  taught  his  first  writing 
class.  .  The  most  unique  school  of  art  in  the  world  was  his 
famous  log-cabin  seminary.  This  he  built  on  his  own  farm, 
two  and  one-half  miles  north-east  of  Geneva,  Ohio,  in  1848. 
Here  he  began  teaching  his  wonderful  system  of  Penman- 
ship. At  the  age  of  eight  years,  and  before  he  had  ever 
seen  a  sheet  of  paper,  he  was  seized  with  a  desire  to  write 
and  draw.  "With  a  penny  clutched  in  his  hand,  he  one  day 
hailed  a  lumberman  going  to  the  nearest  town  twenty  miles 
away,  and  asked  him  to  buy  him  a  sheet  of  paper.  Late  into 
the  night  he  waited  the  return  of  the  man,  with  the  only 
thought  of  applying  his  goose  quill  to  a  real  sheet  of  paper. 
When  it  came,  he  went  to  his  room  and  wrote  till  morning."* 
He  was  elected  to  several  offices  in  Ashtabula  county,  among 
them  the  office  of  Treasurer,  which  offtce  he  held  till  1850. 
An  incendiary  fire,  during  his  last  term  of  office  as  Treas- 
urer, destroyed  the  Court  House  and  some  of  the  papers  in 
the  Treasurer's  office.  After  his  term  of  office  expired,  he 
returned  to  Geneva,  and  in  the  little  log-schoolhouse  known 
as  "Jericho."  began  again  to  teach  those  who  desired  a 
knowledge  of  his  art.    Plere,  avvay  from  "the  pomp  and  din 


*A.  L.  Arner,  M.  D.,  Jefferson,  O. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867.  I4I 

of  city  life,"  young  men  and  women  came,  from  all  parts  of 
the  country.  Among  these  log-seminary  students  was  H. 
Dwight  Stratton,  chief  of  the  founders  of  the  great  chain  of 
commercial  colleges,  numbering  fifty-two,  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  Mr.  Spencer  began  teaching  penman- 
ship in  Hiram  in  1854.  Some  of  the  very  best  students  that 
Hiram  had  at  that  time  were  in  his  classes,  which  were 
usually  large,  always  full  of  enthusiasm.  He  was  the  poet- 
penman  of  the  world,  and  from  an  original  poem  which  was 
sung  at  the  closing  lesson  in  March,  1857.  the  following 
stanza  is  given : 

"One  wish — young  friend,  ardent,  sincere. 
Life  be  to  you  a  well-writ  page. 
Each  letter  perfect,  full  and  clear, 
Linked  in  bright  lines  from  age  to  age ; 
Such  records  Heaven  approves  full  well, 
And  such  be  yours,  farewell,  farewell." 

In  the  winter  of  1864  he  delivered  his  last  lecture,  and 
gave  his  last  course  of  lessons  in  Packard's  Business  College, 
in  New  York  City,  and  then  laid  down  his  "faithful  pen," 
not  again  to  be  taken  up.  He  died  May  16,  1864,  at  Geneva, 
Ohio,  and  his  remains  lie  buried  in  the  beautiful  cemetery 
at  that  place. 

Referring  to  Mr.  Spencer  in  an  address  before  the  stu- 
dents of  the  Spencerian  Business  College,  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  June  29,  1869,  Mr.  Garfield  said:  "About  forty 
years  ago  a  young  lad  who  had  come  from  the  Catskill 
mountains,  where  he  had  learned  the  rudiments  of  penman- 
ship by  scribbling  on  the  sole-leather  of  a  good  old  Quaker 
shoemaker — for  he  was  too  poor  to  buy  paper — till  he  could 
write  better  than  his  neighbors,  commenced  to  teach  in  that 
part  of  Ohio  which  has  been  called  'benighted  Ashtabula.' 
He  set  up  a  little  writing  school  in  a  rude  log  cabin,  and 


142  HISTORY    OF    IIIRAM    COLLEGE. 

threw  into  the  work  the  fervor  of  a  poetic  soul  and  a 
strength  of  heart  and  spirit  that  few  men  possess.  He 
caught  his  ideals  of  beauty  from  the  waves  of  the  lake  and 
the  curves  they  make  upon  the  white  sand  beach,  and  from 
the  tracery  of  the  spider's  web.  Studying  the  lines  of  beaut v 
as  drawn  by  the  hand  of  Nature,  he  wrought  out  that  sys- 
tem of  penmanship  which  is  now  the  pride  of  our  country. 
and  the  model  of  our  schools." 

Besides  his    work  as  Principal    of    the  Institute,  ]\Ir. 
Thomson  was  teacher  of  Classics,  Rhetoric,  and  Phonogra- 
phy.   He  was  a  man  of  fine  culture  and  a 
Mr.  Thomson  ,111  11 

Te    h  devoted  teacher,  but  under  the  uncertam- 

ties,  financial  condition  and  other  difficul- 
ties prevailing  at  that  time,  he  closed  his  relations  to  Hiram 
at  the  end  of  the  year. 

Adoniram  Judson  Thomson  was  born  near  Burksville, 
Ky.,  September  3,   1835.     Not  long  after  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Louisville,  and  for  a  time  that  city  was  their  home. 
Thence  they  removed  to  Illinois,  which 
lograp  ica  ^^^^  ^^^   Thomson's  home  until  1883,  ex- 

Sketch  of  .  .         y 

A.  J.  Thomson.  ^^P^  one  year  spent  m  Hiram  m  1865-66. 
He  became  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  In  1858  he  graduated  from 
Abingdon  College,  receiving  the  degree  of  A.  B. ;  and  three 
years  later  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  the  same  institution. 
He  was  ordained  to  the  gospel  ministry  in  1858,  and 
preached  on  Sundays  almost  constantly  from  that  time  till 
1886.  He  was  teacher  in  Abingdon  College  for  about  twen- 
ty-five years,  leaving  that  work  to  accept  the  place  of  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  which  he 
resigned  in  one  year  and  returned  to  Abingdon  College  in 
1866. 

Alone  or  associated  with  another  he  was  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Abingdon    about   fifteen   years.     Among   other 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867.  143 

churches  in  IlHnois  for  which  he  preached  regularly  for 
longer  or  shorter  periods  were  Blandinsville,  Bryant,  Den- 
ver, Henderson,  Monmouth,  Plymouth,  Peoria,  Princeton, 
and  Quincy.  In  1883  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
church  in  Manhattan,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  three 
years.  During  this  time  he  served  on  the  Kansas  State 
Board  of  Missions  as  President,  and  in  other  relations.  In 
1891-92  he  was  employed  in  the  office  of  the  Standard  Pub- 
lishing Company  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  and  a  part  of  that  time 
preached  for  the  church  at  Carthage,  Ohio.  In  October, 
1892,  he  was  elected  Principal  of  the  Louisville  Christian 
Bible  School,  then  under  the  auspices  of  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society,  but  lately  transferred  to  the 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions.  In  this  position  he 
is  still  at  work,  most  laboriously,  conscientiously  and  effect- 
ively. In  every  relation  he  has  held  at  Hiram  or  elsewhere 
he  has  maintained  a  character  "void  of  offense,"  and  a  repu- 
tation for  gifts  and  acquirements  of  a  high  order. 

Within  the  period  now  being  considered,  and  well  to- 
wards the  close  of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  and  urged  on  by  a 
number    of    eminent  Disciples,    ministers    and    others,  the 

Board  of  Trustees  proposed  to  add  to  the 
„  ^     t       t  Institution    "a.   Theological    Department, 

distinct  from  the  Literary,  in  which  regu- 
lar classes  would  be  formed  and  direct  instruction  given  to 
those  Vv'ho  designed  to  enter  the  ministry."  It  was  asserted 
that  the  demand  for  such  instruction  is  imperative;  that  it 
is  absurd  to  claim  that  the  teacher  of  God's  Word  should  be 
less  complete  and  systematic  in  preparation  for  his  work 
than  the  members  of  other  learned  professions ;  that  it  was 
folly  and  superstitious  weakness  to  neglect  that  thorough 
discipline  and  laborious  preparation  necessary  to  fit  a  man 
for  such  high  duties,  and  credulously  trust  that  God  will 
supply  both  knowledge  and  culture ;  and  as  the  success  and 


144  HISTORY    OP    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

permanency  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  no  longer  appeared 
doubtful,  such  a  department  should  be  established  as  soon 
as  possible.  The  idea  of  making  of  the  Institute  a  Theo- 
logical Seminary  had  in  a  large  degree,  if  not  entirely, 
passed  away ;  and  the  proposition  was  now  to  arrange  for  a 
"Course  of  Biblical  Lectures,"  which  would  open  the  way 
for  a  permanent  Theological  Department.  A  committee 
consisting  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Robison,  J.  A.  Garfield  and  Harmon 
Austin  was  appointed  June  20,  1865,  to  provide  for  a  Course 
of  Biblical  Lectures.  This  committee,  after  due  considera- 
tion, reported  that  they  had  received  "the  advice  of  a  large 
number  of  prominent  brethren,"  and  had  decided  "to  profit 
by  the  wisdom  of  other  professions,  such  as  Law  and  Medi- 
cine," and  announced  that  they  had  secured  the  services  of 
able  and  experienced  men  who  would  give  in  the  name  of 
the  Institution,  "a  Course  of  Lectures  which  would  be  free 
to  preachers  and  students  of  the  Bible  desiring  to  perfect 
themselves  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word." 

A  Solicitor  had  also  been  appointed  to  canvass  the 
churches  for  the  funds  necessary  to  inaugurate  the  work. 
On  his  report  the  committee  further  said :  "From  the  en- 
couragements received  in  the  way  of  cash  and  pledges  we 
have  agreed  with  Isaac  Errett,  that  he,  together  with  those 
whom  he  may  call  to  assist  him  in  the  course,  be  paid  the 
sum  of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  and  five  hundred  dol- 
lars for  incidentals ;  this  amount  to  be  divided  and  used  as 
Mr.  Errett  might  agree  with  his  associates."  The  Course 
of  Lectures  was  to  begin  Monday,  June  4,  1866,  and  con- 
tinue for  fifteen  weeks.  Isaac  Errett,  the  chosen  head  of 
the  Department,  announced  that  his  associates  would  be 
Robert  Milligan,  of  Kentucky  University,  Lecturer  on  the 
Inspiration  and  Interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  Historical 
and  Critical  Study  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  Critical  and 
Exegetical  Analysis  of  the  New  Testament ;  Henry  T.  An- 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1S67.  I45 

derson,  Lecturer  on  the  Principles  of  interpretation  as  ap- 
plied to  the  Greek  of  the  New  Testament ;  David  S.  Burnet, 
Lecturer  on  Sacred  Rhetoric,  and  Preparation  and  Delivery 
of  Sermons.  Other  lectures  on  kindred  topics  were  to  be 
supplied  during  the  term.  The  Course  of  Lectures  began 
at  the  time  announced  and  were  so  successful  that  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  held  in  Hiram,  August 
14,  1866,  the  following  resolutions  offered  by  Mr.  Garfield 
were  adopted :  "Resolved,  That  the  experiment  of  a  Course 
of  Biblical  Lectures,  inaugurated  by  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
and  now  in  progress,  has  proved  eminently  successful,  and 
should  be  maintained  as  a  permanent  means  of  fitting  young 
men  for  the  Ministry  of  the  Gospel. 

"Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
are  cordially  extended  to  the  brethren  who  have  delivered 
the  Lectures  before  the  Biblical  class  for  the  ability  and 
faithfulness  of  their  labors." 

Vvliile  this  Course  of  Lectures  was  good  and  whole- 
some, and  a  credit  to  the  distinguished  men  who  gave  them, 
they  were  the  last  as  they  were  the  first  of  their  kind  in  the 
history  of  the  Institution.*  The  voice  of  its  charter,  which 
announced  its  special  purpose  to  be  "the  instruction  of 
youth  of  both  sexes  in  the  various  branches  of  literature  and 
science,  especially  of  moral  science,  as  based  on  the  facts 
and  precepts  of  the  Holy  Scriptures";  and  the  early  em- 
phatic announcement  that  "the  Bible  must  be  taken  into  the 
School  as  a  book  of  study ;  its  facts  must  be  studied ;  its  own 
pure  and  perfect  morality  must  be  daily  urged  upon  the 
consciences  of  the  students,  in  view  of  its  fearful  sanctions," 
were  supreme  mandates.  Many  were  in  favor  of  the  new 
I  departure,  but  more  were  against  it.  Daily  Bible  instruc- 
'i  tion  has  been  kept  up  during  the  fifty  years  of  the  life  of  the 

I        *There  were  tvio  courses,  one  in  1866  and  one  in  1867. 


146  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Institution,  but  nothing  like  the  modern  Theological  Semi- 
nary, or  Tiieological  Department,  has  ever  gained  a  foot- 
hold in  Hiram.    The  Biblical  languages  are  daily  taught  by 
competent  Professors ;  the  Book  is  studied  in  the  original 
languages,  in  the  classroom ;  the  history  and  the  doctrine 
of  the   Bible  are  investigated  ;  the  power  and  strength  of 
the  church,  as  well  as  her  weaknesses,  are  all  considered  as 
a  part  of  the  purpose  for  which  the  Institution  was  founded. 
For  sixteen  years  the  Eclectic  Institute  was  without  a 
Commercial  Department,  where  the  laws,  rules  and  methods 
of  commercial  transactions  and  business 
,^       ,       ,  could  be  studied  and  illustrated.    August 

Department.  * 

14,  1866,  on  motion  of  Air.  Garfield,  the 

Committee  on  Teachers  was  authorized  to  inquire  into  "the 

feasibility  of  establishing  a  Commercial  Department  in  the 

Eclectic."     This  committee  appears  to  have  considered  the 

matter  "feasible,"  for  in  the  catalogue  of  1867  the  name  of 

^          r-   tJMi        O.  C.  Hill  appears  as  teacher  in  '"English 
Osmer  C.  Hill.  ^^  ,^  ° 

and  Commercial  Departments."  He  was 
the  first  instructor  in  this  Department  at  Hiram,  and  he 
remained  at  the  head  of  the  Department  until  he  left  the 
Institution  in  1875.  He  was  a  student  in  Hiram  when  the 
Civil  War  broke  out.  He  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  served  his 
period  of  enlistment,  and  then  returned  to  Hiram  to  study 
and  to  teach.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  teacher  and  a  useful 
man.  He  graduated  at  Williams  College  in  1876.  For  two 
years  he  was  a  teacher  in  Oberlin  College,  and  for  twelve 
years  he  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  Oregon,  ^Missouri, 
and  Hiawatha,  Kansas.  He  was  the  author  of  a  series  of 
school  readers.  He  was  a  preacher,  also,  and  occupied  the 
pulpit,  more  or  less,  on  Sundays  for  thirtv  years.  Wher- 
ever he  lived  he  bore  an  honorable  name.  He  was  born  in 
Orange,  Cuyahoga  county,  Ohio,  December  31,  1839,  and 
died  in  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  June  30,  1899. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867.  I47 

John  M.  /Vtwater  was  the  last  Prhicipal  of  the  Eclectic 

Institute ;  and  he  was  one  of  its  first  body  of  students.     He 

John  Milton          ^^so   reached   over   into  the   College  and 

Atwater  vvas  one  of  its  first  Professors,  and  after- 

rincipa  .          wards  President.    It  is  fitting,  therefore, 

that  the  glow  of  the  closing  days  of  the  "Old  Eclectic,"  and 

the  sheen  of  the  rising  College  days  should  fall  on  l^im  at 

this  point  in  the  History  of  Hiram  College. 

After  the  resignation  of  A.  J.  Thomson,  the  Board  of 
Trustees  was  under  the  necessity  of  finding  another  Prin- 
cipal, and  the  lot  fell  on  John  M.  Atwater.  On  motion  of 
Mr.  Garfield  it  was  "Resolved,  That  the  Committee  on 
Teachers  be  authorized  to  employ  J.  M.  Atwater,  J.  S.  Ross, 
and  such  other  teachers  as  may  be  necessary,  to  conduct  the 
Literary  Department  of  the  Institute  in  the  future ;  and  that 
the  amount  of  money  received  for  tuition,  and  no  more,  be 
allowed  to  the  payment  of  such  teachers,  and  for  the  inci- 
dental expenses  of  the  Institution." 

Mr.  Atwater  accepted  the  place  on  these  conditions ; 
and  associated  with  him  were  J.  S.  Ross,  teacher  of  Classics 
and  Natural  Sciences ;  Osmer  C.  Hill,  teacher  in  English 
and  Commercial  Departments;  Miss  S.  A.  Bartlett,  teacher 
of  Languages,  and  Botany;  Miss  Julia  E.  Pardee,  teacher 
of  Mathematics,  and  Philosophy ;  Miss  Tillie  Newcomb, 
teacher  of  Instrumental  Music;  Miss  Emma  L.  Johnson, 
teacher  of  Landscape  Painting  and  Drawing;  Miss  Mary 
Atwater,  teacher  of  French  and  German ;  and  W.  H. 
Rogers,  Bailey  S.  Dean,  Grove  E.  Barber,  and  C.  C.  Smith, 
as  Assistant  Teachers  in  the  English  Department. 

Of  these,  J.  S.  Ross  is  still  living,  an  honorable  and 
honored  man  and  a  Christian  preacher  of  high  repute ;  of 
Miss  Bartlett  there  are  no  records  at  hand;  Miss  Pardee  is 
the  wife  of  Prof.  Asa  M.  Weston,  who  was  the  first  Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics  and   ?^Iodern   Languages   in   Hiram 


I4S  HISTORY    OK    HIKAM    COLLEGE. 

College;  Aliss  Newconib  was  for  several  years  leachcr  of 
Instrumental  Alusic,  and  as  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Ellis,  yet  re- 
sides in  liirani ;  Miss  Johnson  is  the  wife  of  Prof.  B.  S. 
Dean,  and  the  present  cultured  teacher  of  China  Decora- 
tion and  Pastel  in  Hiram  College ;  W.  PI.  Rogers  is  a  cul- 
tured preacher  in  Massachusetts ;  B.  S.  Dean  is  Professor 
of  History  in  Hiram  College ;  G.  E.  Barber  is  Professor  of 
Latin  in  the  University  of  Nebraska ;  and  C.  C.  Smith  is  a 
swift-footed,  able,  and  eloquent  messenger  of  the  Church, 
and  assistant  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American 
Christian  Missionary  Society.  Mary  At  water  married  G. 
W.  Neely,  and  died  at  her  home  in  Bower,  North  Carolina, 
April  12,  1900.  John  M.  Atwater,  the  leader  of  this  band 
of  teachers,  died  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  January  17,  1900. 

Perhaps  the  best  known  family  group  of  students  that 

attended  school  in  Hiram  in  the  early  period  were  the  At- 

waters,  three  brothers,  Orris,  John,  and  Amzi,  and  a  sister, 

^lary.       "Belonging     to    a    well-known 

p      .J  family   of  the  vicinage,  attending   for  a 

number  of  )'ears  more  regidarly,  and 
generally  several  of  them  at  the  same  timiC,  and  possessing 
abilities  and  character,  they  naturally  impressed  themselves 
upon  the  School,  both  as  a  group  and  as  individuals."  All 
have  lived  honorable  and  useful  lives,  and  yet  it  is  no  invidi- 
ous judgment  that  places  John  at  the  head  of  the  list.  He 
was  born  in  Mantua,  Ohio,  June  3,  1837.  He  became  a 
Christian,  upon  a  profession  of  his  faith  and  baptism,  when 
he  was  little  more  than  twelve  years  of  age,  and  united  with 
the  Church  in  Mantua.  His  first  term  in  Hiram  was  in 
1 85 1,  a  year  after  the  School  was  first  opened.  He  taught 
school  in  Solon  in  the  winter  of  i854-'55.  He  preached  his 
first  sermon  in  Hiram  in  the  fall  of  1859,  and  continued  to 
preach  one-half  time  for  the  church  in  Hiram  until  the 
spring  of    1861,   dividing  the  time   vrith   Hiram's   veteran 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1S67.  149 

preacher,  Symonds  Ryder.  During  this  period  he  was  stu- 
dent and  teacher  in  the  Eclectic  Institute.  In  1861  he  en- 
tered Oberhn  College  and  graduated  under  the  Presidency 
of  Charles  G.  Finney  in  1863.  He  was  married  to  Harriet 
M.  Smith  at  Oberlin,  October  i,  1863.  He  was  the  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Wellington,  Ohio  in  i863-'64,  and  until 
1866  pursued  the  Theological  Course  at  Oberlin,  and 
preached  for  the  churches  at  Camden,  Henrietta  and  Eaton 
in  Lorain  county.  In  1866  he  was  elected  Principal  of  the 
Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  and  in  1867  he  was 
chosen  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek,  in  Hiram  College, 
under  the  Presidency  of  Dr.  Silas  E.  Shepard.  After  the 
resignation  of  Dr.  Shepard  lie  was  elected  President  of 
Hiram  College,  and  served  from  1868- 1870.  He  thus  had 
"the  unique  distinction  of  being  both  Principal  of  the  Ec- 
lectic Institute  and  President  of  Hiram  College,  and  strove 
hard  to  do  his  duty  in  both  positions."  Pie  served  as  Pro- 
fessor of  Latin  and  Greek  in  Alliance  College  in  i87o-'7i. 
After  he  left  Alliance  he  turned  his  attention  for  several 
years  to  the  ministry  and  was  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in  i87i-'72;  Worcester,  Mass.,  i872-'76; 
Wauseon,  Ohio,  i876-'78;  Springfield,  111.,  i878-'79 ;  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  Franklin  Circle  Church,  i879-'84;  and  Ada, 
Ohio,  i885-'87.  While  at  Ada  he  published  a  monthly 
journal,  "The  One  Principle,"  which  was  intended  "to  em- 
phasize the  importance  of  the  union  of  all  Christians  upon 
Christ." 

In  September,  1887,  he  was  elected  Principal  of  the 
Normal  Department,  and  Professor  of  Didactics  in  Garfield 
University,  Wichita,  Kansas,  under  the  Presidency  of  H. 
W.  Everest.  His  wife  died  at  Wichita,  September  9,  1887. 
On  leaving  Wichita  he  preached  for  several  Kansas 
churches  from  1888  to  1890.  He  served  Eureka  College  as 
Professor  of  Latin  in  i89i-'92.    In  June,  1892,  he  was  mar- 


I5<J  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ried  to  Miss  Anna  Robison,  who  became  his  efficient  helper 
at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  whitlier  he  went  to  assume  the  duties 
of  President  of  Oskaloosa  College  in  1892.  He  remained 
in  Oskaloosa  until  1897,  when  he  was  elected  President  of 
Central  Christian  College  at  Albany,  Missouri.  His  health 
having  failed  soon  after  he  reached  Albany,  he  was  obliged 
to  resign  from  the  Institution,  which  he  did  at  the  close  of 
the  College  year.  This  practically  terminated  the  labors 
of  his  life.  After  vainly  seeking  health  in  the  South,  he 
returned  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where,  in  the  midst  of  his 
friends,  he  died  January  17,  1900,  loved  and  lamented  by 
all.  Betvv-een  his  entry  into  Hiram  in  185 1  and  the  close 
of  his  life  in  1900  is  the  record  of  a  laborious  and  busy 
career.  He  did  much  that  is  not  named,  and  could  not  be 
detailed,  in  a  brief  sketch.  In  every  position  to  which  he 
was  called  he  was  faultlessly  faithful  in  his  effort  to  meet 
every  obligation.  "He  was  a  sound  scholar,  a  good  teacher, 
and  excellent  companion,  and  a  true  man."  He  excelled  as 
a  teacher  rather  than  as  a  preacher  or  the  executive  head  of 
school  or  college.  He  w^as  a  man  of  almost  infinite  detail 
in  his  methods  of  analysis,  and  administration  of  affairs. 
To  many  this  made  his  addresses  and  sermons  tiresome  and 
his  administrative  directions  bewildering.  He  was  an  ex- 
ceedingly busy  man,  never  sparing  himself,  if  so  he  might 
help  others.  He  once  wrote  to  a  friend :  'T  live  in  one  in- 
cessant, pelting  hailstorm  of  demands  upon  my  time."  He 
was  a  pure  man  in  heart,  in  speech,  in  life.  Robert  jMoffett, 
who  was  one  of  the  speakers  at  his  funeral,  said  of  his  good- 
ness of  life :  'T  never  saw  or  heard  of,  nor  did  I  ever  know 
of  anyone  else  who  ever  saw  or  heard,  John  At  water  say 
or  do  anything  at  any  time  or  place  that  was  not  worthy 
of  the  upright  life."  He  was  tenacious  of  his  opinions 
almost  to  the  border  of  stubbornness,  as  some  of  his  friends 
thought,   and   was   harder  to  persuade   than  the  occasion 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1S67.  151 

seemed  to  justify,  and  yet,  his  views  were  maintained  most 
conscientiously  and  considerately.  All  in  all,  he  is  one  of 
the  great  men  that  Hiram,  in  its  first  half  century,  has  given 
to  the  Vv'orld. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Ford,  who  was  the  most  successful  solicitor 

or  financial  agent  employed  by  the  Board  during  the  entire 

Eclectic  period,  made  a  strong  effort  to  lay  the  foundation 

for  a  permanent  endowmxCnt  fund  for  the 

/  Institution.     November   lo,   1866,  he  re- 

towards  an 

Endov/ment.  ported  that  he  had  succeeded  in  raising 
reliable  subscriptions  and  notes  for  the 
endowment  fund,  in  Hiram  and  its  immediate  vicinity, 
amounting  to  $16,775;  ^"^1  that  he  had  other  subscriptions 
sufficient  to  make  the  total  nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars. 
It  is  probable  that  these  subscriptions  were  never  all  paid, 
but  they  laid  the  foundation  for  the  present  creditable  en- 
dowment of  the  College.  June  12,  1867,  on  motion  of  Mr. 
C.  B.  Lockwood,  a  "Finance  Committee"  was  created  by 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  "to  take  charge  of  all  funds  for 
endowment,  and  invest  the  same  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  Board ;  and  this  Board  hereby  promise  the  brotherhood 
that  no  part  of  the  principal  of  such  funds  shall  be  used, 
but  shall  be  kept  sacred  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
donated."  With  rare  exceptions  this  rule  has  always  been 
adhered  to  by  the  Board  of  Trustees ;  and  if  at  any  time. 
for  temporary  necessities,  any  portion  of  the  endowment 
fund  has  been  used,  it  has  been  promptly  replaced. 

A  system  of  scholarships  was  also  attempted,  but  so 
far  as  the  records  show,  the  effort  was  never  of  much  bene- 
fit to  the  Institution.    Some  money  was,  however,  raised  in 

c  .    ,     ,  .  this  wav,  though  the  amount  was  com- 

Scnolar ships.  .  '  .-5 

paratively  small.  The  scholarship  method 
of  raising  funds  for  the  Institution  has  never,  for  some  rea- 
son, been  popular  with  the. constituency  of  Hiram  College. 


152  HISTORY    OF    HIkAM    COLLEGE. 

To  the  old  students  of  Hiram  the  sound  of  the  College 

Bell  meant  more  than  it  does  to-day.     Then  it  announced 

the  hour  of  rising  in  the  morning  and  the 

,-,  ,,       „  ,,  hour  when  the  students  must  be  in  their 

College  Bell. 

rooms  at  night.  Now  it  has  little  signifi- 
cance save  as  a  warning  for  the  change  of  classes.  For 
many  years  the  bell  was  rung  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
but  this  habit  ceased  about  the  year  1870.  The  nine  o'clock 
night  bell  was  discontinued  about  the  year  1884.  The  rule 
of  the  Institution  was — 

"Early  to  bed  and  early  to  rise. 

Makes  a  man  healthy,  wealthy,  and  wise." 

But  these  early  habits  have  long  since  passed  away,  either 

for  better  or  for  worse. 

Perhaps  no  one  who  has  made  the  attempt  to  describe 

oldest  Hiram  and  its  students,  had  a  more  vivid  memory  of 

the  persons  and  events,  and  has  been  able 

„.  ...         to  describe    them    more    felicitouslv  and 

Hiram  and  its 

Students.  accurately,    and    sometimes    humorously, 

than  John  M.  Atwater.  In  1880  he  made 
an  address  before  the  "Hiram  College  Reunion"  on  "Our 
Ideals  of  Life  and  Character,"  which  contains  so  much  of 
interest  concerning  those  early  days,  that  a  summary  of  it 
is  here  given : 

No  one  can  return,  after  years  of  absence,  to  the  school 

or  college  where  he  once  studied,  at  least  in  the  time  of  its 

ordinary  activity  and  regular  work,  without  a  strong  im- 

^,     .,     ,    ,         pression.  perhaps  even  a  sad  one,  that  he 
Mr.  Atwater's         f       ,      ,   ,  ■        1  ..1     ^  ^u  r  ^1 

,,         .  has  lost  his  place ;  that  the  waves  01  the 

deluge  have  swept  away  all  his  gener- 
ation, and  that  a  new  tribe  has  taken  possession  of  the  earth. 
But  this  is  Reunion  Day ;  and  Reunion  Day.  it  would  seem, 
should  be  old  students'  day,  vrhen  those  who  at  other  times 
might  flit  silent  and  lone  like  uneasy  ghosts  across  these 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867,  153 

grounds,  may  congregate  in  such  numbers  as  to  seem  for 
the  day  to  reconquer  and  repossess  the  land. 

Are  you  then  an  old  Hiram  student?  Do  you  belong 
to  this  army?  Advance,  and  give  the  countersign.  But 
first,  pause ;  there  are  old  students,  and  then  there  are  old 
students.  To  what  era  do  you  belong?  In  what  geologic 
age  did  you  flourish?  You  were  here,  you  say,  when  the 
corner-stone  was  laid  of  the  Ladies'  Hall !  But  that  was 
only  yesterday.  I  fear  you  are  a  new  comer.  Do  you  re- 
member when  the  seats  in  the  college  chapel  were  first 
turned  to  face  the  west?  Do  you  remember  when  Prof. 
Demmon  came  here  to  fill  the  chair  now  held  by  Prof.  Bar- 
ber? If  you  are  an  old  student  you  were  here  when  there 
was  no  Hiram  College,  but  rather  the  old  Eclectic  Institute. 
Perhaps  you  can  remember  when  President  Everest,  now 
of  Eureka  College,  was  at  the  head  of  this  institution.  It 
may  be  you  were  here  when  Prof.  Rhodes  had  his  great 
classes  in  elocution.  It  is  possible  that  you  were  here  to 
help  plant  these  trees  on  the  college  grounds ;  if  so,  we  shall 
admit  that  you  are  one  of  the  old  students.  Do  you  remem- 
ber a  time  when  the  Delphic,  the  Hesperian,  and  the  Olive 
Jjranch  were  yet  unborn,  when  little  mushroom  societies 
sprang  up  and  died  almost  every  term?  (In  those  days 
arose  the  Junto,  the  Progressionist,  the  Attic,  the  Society 
of  Seven,  the  Washingtonian,  the  Philomathean,  the  Eclec- 
tic, and  many  others.)  Do  you  recollect  the  time  when 
there  was  a  primary  department,  a  school  for  children,  in 
the  south  wing  of  the  college?  Were  you  here  when  Wal. 
Ford  used  to  call  the  roll  of  students  in  chapel  in  the  morn- 
ing? Do  you  remember  when  N.  C.  Meeker,  the  victim  of 
the  late  Indian  massacre,  kept  a  store  just  west  of  the 
church?  Were  you  here  when  Senator  Garfield  was  em- 
ployed to  ring  the  college  bell  ?  Do  you  recollect  when  the 
last  tv/o  or  three  presidents  of  the  college  first  came  here 
fresh  from  the  farm  with  the  hayseed  still  in  their  hair? 
Can  you  remember  when  there  v/as  a  regular  boarding- 
house  in  the  college  basement?  Were  you  a  student  here 
when  Miss  Booth  had  not  yet  become  a  teacher  here,  but 
was  still  teaching  district  school  over  in  Mantua?  Were 
vou  in  school  here  when  W.  B.  Ilazen,  now  General  in  the 


154  HISTOKY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

U.  S.  Army,  was  a  school-boy  here  from  Garrettsvllle? 
You  were  here  in  those  days,  were  you?  Well,  then,  we 
will  not  require  you  to  go  through  college,  but  will  confer 
upon  you  at  once  the  degree  of  O.  H.  S. — Old  Hiram  Stu- 
dent— and  for  this  one  clay  your  degree  ranks  higher  than 
that  of  those  who  took  the  sheepskins  3'esterday. 

W  hen  you  and  I  were  notified  of  the  approach  of  this 
reunion,  and  began  to  make  our  plans  to  attend  it,  we  were 
naturally  led  to  think  of  the  friends  we  should  meet  here : 
to  call  up  the  once  familiar  faces,  and  to  speculate  as  to 
which  of  them  would  be  here,  and  which  would  not.  And 
we  thought  of  some  who  have  drifted  so  far  away  from  this 
place  into  distant  States,  that  we  scarcely  expected  to  meet 
them  in  this  reunion ;  and  we  thought  of  some,  too,  who 
have  drifted  out  into  that  unknown  sea  whence  there  is  no 
returning.  And  so  we  have  been  spending  these  late  weeks 
m  the  companionship,  as  it  were,  of  old  schoolmates,  living 
over  again  the  half-forgotten  days,  reciting  again  the  old 
lessons,  holding  anew  the  old  contests,  and  walking  with 
old  friends  over  the  old  familiar  paths. 

Almost  every  foot  of  ground  around  Hiram  Hill,  for 
miles  away,  is  historic ;  memories,  which  link  together  old 
companions,  haunt  each  nook  and  corner,  each  field  and 
hillside. 

South  of  the  college,  is  the  old  foot-ball  ground,  scene 
of  micrhty  battles.  In  the  northwest  corner  of  the  college 
campus,  base-ball  has  flourished  for  many  a  year.  In  the 
corner  northeast  of  the  college,  under  the  old  apple  trees, 
several  commencements  have  been  held,  and  one  reunion  or 
more ;  and  the  air  dov^m  there  is  thick  with  mental  pictures 
of  the  scenes  and  the  speakers  of  those  occasions.  Over 
northwest  of  the  village,  in  the  field,  then  half  woods,  is  the 
tree,  perhaps  only  a  stump  now.  under  which  v/e  sat  down 
alone  to  grapple  with  the  "Goose  Question,"  and  wrestled 
until  we  gained  the  victory.  T  do  not  know  whether  Hiram 
students,  in  their  march  on  the  road  to  knowledge  still  meet 
that  column  of  geese  marching  to  oppose  their  progress,  but 
I  can  testify  that  in  my  day  the  approach  of  those  geese 
caused  great  searchings  of  heart,   and  it  was   not  every 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1S63-1867.  155 

student  by  any  means  who  at  recitation  was  found  to  be 
"sound  on  the  goose  question." 

In  that  same  northwest  field  is  the  spot  where  once 
Amzi  Atwater,  who  had  gone  out  to  recite  his  commence- 
ment speech,  met  a  black  bear,  which  had  lately  parted  com- 
pany with  some  caravan.  The  bear  was  passing  through 
from  the  southwest,  and  was  just  in  time  to  be  present  at 
the  rehearsal ;  but  as  the  boy  and  the  bear  were  not  ac- 
quainted with  each  other,  he  did  not  interview  the  beast, 
and  does  not  know  to  this  day  how  his  speech  took  with  the 
stranger.  The  attendance  of  the  bear  at  his  rehearsal  must 
have  been  very  encouraging  to  the  speaker ;  he  had,  of 
course,  expected  to  be  something  of  a  lion  on  commence- 
ment day,  but  not  that  his  first  roar  would  call  all  the  wild 
beasts  together. 

Over  west  of  the  college,  and  just  south  of  Tiffany 
Hall,*  is  the  spot  where  Abraham  Lincoln  was  first  nomi- 


*  While  I  was  a  student  in  Hiram  in  the  winter  of  1857-1858,  I 
roomed  in  what  was  then  known  as  "Tiffany  Hall."  a  long  one-story 
building,  with  a  hall  running  the  entire  length,  with  rooms  partitioned 
off  on  either  side  for  student  lodging  and  study  rooms.  The  build- 
ing is  yet  standing  on  the  street  leading  to  the  residence  of  Pro- 
fessor Peckham  and  outwardly  is  substantially  as  it  was  then. 

That  winter  was  distinctly  marked  by  the  excitement  caused  by 
the  decision  in  1857  of  the  Dred  Scott  case  by  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court  and  handed  down  by  Chief  Justice  Roger  Brooke 
Tane}',  in  which  a  majority  of  the  Court  held  that  "negroes  were 
so  inferior  that  they  had  no  rights  which  the  white  man  was  bound 
to  respect."  There  was  intense  excitement  in  the  Nation  over  the 
decision,  and  especially  was  this  true  on  the  "Western  Reserve"  in 
Ohio. 

During  the  winter  some  of  the  students  in  Hiram  entered  into 
an  arrangement  by  which  the  leading  features  in  the  evasion  and  en- 
forcement of  the  law  should  be  illustrated  in  a  somewhat  realistic 
way.  I  do  not  now  remember  all  the  details  or  the  names  of  those 
who  took  a  leading  part  in  the  arrangement.  I  only  know  that  I  was 
let  into  the  secret,  and  asked  to  become  a  participant,  which  I  de- 
clined. Two  young  men  by  the  name  of  Mumford  roomed  in  "Tif- 
fany Hall"  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  building  to  my  own  room,  and 
they  were  made  the  victims  of  the  plot.  Somewhere  near  midnight 
two  black-faced  students,  representing  fugitive  slaves,  on  their  way 
to  Canada  and  freedom,  attended  by  two  or  three  men  representing 
farmers  of  the  vicinity,  came  into  the  Hall,  to  Mumford's  room,  and 
insisted  on  having  supper,  as  they  had  been  in  hiding  all  day  and 


156  HISTORY    OK    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

nated  for  President  of  the  United  States.  It  was  twenty 
years  ago!  And  who  would  have  thought  it  had  been  so 
long!  The  great  Chicago  Republican  Convention  of  i860 
was  about  to  hold  its  three-day  session.  The  leading  can- 
didates were  Seward  and  Chase,  Lincoln  being  mentioned 
only  occasionally  as  a  far-off  possibility.  Some  of  Mrs. 
Hart's  boarders  (among  them  Harry  Glasier,  H.  D.  Carl- 
ton, and  .\mzi  Atwater),  were  fond  of  pitching  quoits  as  a 
rest  from  books.  To  give  zest  to  the  game,  the  boys  en- 
listed as  champions  of  the  several  would-be  nominees  of 
the  Chicago  Convention.  This  was  done  for  several  days ; 
and  there  on  the  play-ground  they  declared  Lincoln  to  be 
nominated,  while  at  Chicago  the  fight  was  still  raging  be- 
tween Seward  and  Chase !  Moral :  Boys  are  a  class  of 
folks  that  deserve  close  watching. 

In  the  street,  in  front  of  President  Hinsdale's  (which 
was  then  Mr.  Garfield's  house),  is  the  ground  where  we 
played  wicket  ball ;  Mr.  Garfield  was  one  of  our  best  play- 
ers.    Then  there  was  D.  R.  Northway.  the  best  batter  on 

were  hungrj-.  WilHnply  and  quickly  these  two  good  Mumford  boys 
set  before  the  supposed  half-starved  fugitives  the  very  best  they  had. 
and  their  meal  was  being  disposed  of  with  haste  and  evident  relish, 
when  there  appeared  suddenly  in  the  midst  of  the  startled  company 
two  officers  of  the  Government  and  their  posse,  who  proceeded  to 
place  in  arrest  in  a  formal  way,  the  two  Mumford  boys  for  the 
'"audacious  crime"  of  harboring  and  feeding  fugitive  slaves.  The  two 
Mumford  boys  took  the  matter  seriously  and  from  a  farce  to  begin 
v.ith  it  looked  for  a  time  as  if  there  might  really  be  a  tragedy  in  the 
end.  Other  students  who  had  rooms  in  "Tiffany  Hall"  were  roused, 
and  word  was  soon  taken  to  A.  S.  Hayden,  who  was  living  in  Hiram 
at  that  time,  and  to  James  A.  Garfield,  the  Principal  of  the  Eclectic 
Institute,  who  soon  started  for  the  center  of  disturbance  with  the 
grim  determination  that  "no  slave  shall  ever  be  returned  to  slavery 
from  Hiram  Hill."  But,  before  they  reached  the  Hall,  there  had  been 
a  general  scattering  of  the  principals  in  the  farce  and  the  occupants 
of  the  Hall  were  left  to  explain  matters  as  best  they  could.  The 
ring-leaders  in  the  affair  were  identified,  and  the  next  morning  the 
chapel  exercises  were  well-seasoned  with  "hot  stuff,"  and  two  of 
the  boys  were  dismissed  from  the  school.  While  the  affair  was  only 
intended  for  "fun,"  it  had  a  serious  effect  on  the  future  politics  of 
some  of  the  students,  and  especially  did  it  impress  Mr.  Garfield  with 
the  sense  of  hatred  toward  slavery  and  love  for  liberty  as  nothing 
before  ever  had.     This    fact    I  had    from    Mr.    Garfield    himself. 

— F.   M.   Green. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867.  1 57 

the  ground,  and  Hi.  Chamberlin,  and  Mose  Richards,  and 
that  young  giant  from  Virginia,  Hoff.  He  was  a  good  fel- 
low; the  boys  called  him  "Old  Virginia  Never  Tire."  lias 
anybody  heard  from  him  since  the  war?* 

Down  south  of  Uncle  Zeb's,  across  the  street,  and 
across  the  ravine,  is  the  place  where  four  of  us  went  once 
to  rehearse  a  discussion  prepared  for  commencement ;  but, 
alas,  in  saying  it,  I  recall  that  two  of  the  four  are  long 
since  dead.  They  died  during  the  war — Will  Smith  and 
Gus  Williams !  They  were  two  of  the  pleasantest  fellows 
we  ever  had  here  in  Hiram.  How  at  every  turn  the  faces 
start  up  along  these  paths  of  those  that  are  with  us  here 
no  more !  *  *  *  *  *  I  was  speaking  of  a  place  where  we 
once  went  to  rehearse.  But  where  did  we  not  go  to  re- 
hearse!  If  the  trees  about  Hiram  were  phonographs,  you 
could  shake  orations  and  debates  out  of  any  tree  within  two 
miles  of  this  hill.  And  who  knows  but  Edison  or  some 
other  son  of  a  Yankee  will  yet  get  the  hang  of  making  the 
trees  repeat  what  they  have  heard !  If  that  time  ever 
comes,  then  as  farmers  have  some  trees  that  bear  green- 
ings, and  others  pippins,  so  the  folks  about  Hiram  will  have 
some  trees  for  prose  and  some  for  poetry ;  one  tree  that  re- 
cites Hiawatha,  and  another  Horatius  At  The  Bridge ;  one 
tree  that  bears  salutatories,  and  another  valedictories. 

Down  in  Esq.  Udall's  sugar  camp  is  the  place  where 
we  went  twenty-four  years  ago  last  spring  for  a  Leap  Year 
Sugar  Party !  It  was  a  merry  time.  So  many  fair,  bright 
faces !  So  much  gay  and  hopeful  young  life !  Where  are 
they  all  now? 

It  is  pleasant,  and  yet  it  is  sad  too,  to  wander  thus  in 
memory  over  all  these  hills  and  fields  where  forms  invisible 
to  outward  eye  start  up  to  meet  us  at  every  footstep.  Per- 
haps you  would  pardon  me  if  I  should  dwell  still  longer 
upon  these  scenes  and  memories.  But  as  I  look  back  at 
our  student  life  here  in  Hiram,  at  the  busy  swarming  hive 
of  which  we  were  a  part  tv»'enty  years  ago  to-day,  I  am  led 
to  think  of  the  question  what  Hiram  was  in  those  days ; 
what  spirit  ruled  here,  what  Hiram  taught  us,  and  what  it 


*  Mr.  Hoff  at  that  time  was  living  at  Cadiz,  O. 


I^*^  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

did  for  us.  It  was  here,  beyond  question,  that  many  of  us 
took  the  shaping  of  our  Hves.  It  was  here  that  we  con- 
sciously and  unconsciously  received  the  ideals  of  life  and 
character  which  will  continue  to  mould  our  thoughts  and 
our  actions  as  long  as  we  live. 

In  answering  the  question,  "What  Ideals  did  Hiram 
Give  Us?"  Mr.  Atwater  in  part  said: 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  enumerate  all  the  noble  concep- 
tions of  character  which  from  time  to  time  Hiram  held  up 
The  Ideals  of  Life  before  her  sons  and  daughters  to  win 
which  Hiram  their  admiration.  I  shall  only  seize  upon 
Gave  its  Students,  a  few,  and  those  the  ones  which  most 
impressed  me,  and  which  beyond  all  doubt  had  a  mights- 
influence  for  good  with  many  generations  of  students. 

The  first  v/hich  I  will  mention  of  those  ideals  which 
we  learned  to  admire,  is  that  of  a  man  standing  squarely  on 
his  ozim  feet,  and  not  held  tip  or  bolstered  up  by  somebody 
else. 

There  are  two  classes  of  men  whom  we  meet  every- 
where and  in  all  situations  in  life.  One  of  them  has  some 
force  of  his  own ;  the  other  has  to  be  held  up  and  carried  by 
his  father.  One  of  them  intends  to  do  something  himself; 
the  other  can  always  tell  you  of  great  things  that  his  grand- 
father did.  One  of  them  knows  how  to  earn  his  own  money  ; 
the  other  knows  how  to  spend  what  his  father  has  earned. 
One  of  them  begins  poor  and  slowly  works  his  way  up ; 
the  other  begins  rich  and  rapidly  runs  down.  One  of  them 
sets  up  a  little  business  and  slowly  builds  it  up  till  he  be- 
comes perhaps  a  merchant  prince ;  the  other  is  set  up  in 
business  on  a  large  scale  by  his  father  and  soon  runs 
through  with  both  the  business  and  the  capital.  One  of 
them  begins  life  in  obscurity  and  rises  by  his  own  merits 
to  an  honorable  prominence ;  the  other  is  introduced  to  an 
admiring  public  or  even  to  the  world,  by  his  renowned 
father,  and  is  kept  by  him  from  sinking  into  utter  obscurity. 
One  of  them,  in  all  "his  plans  and  undertakings  for  life,  ex- 
pects to  work  his  own  way  and  carve  out  his  own  success ; 
the  other  never  accomplishes  anything  nor  even  undertakes 
anything  except  as  somebody's  patronage  carries  him  all 
the  way. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1S63-1S67.  159 

Hiram  taught  her  sons  and  daughters  to  admire  the 
one,  and  to  pity  and  despise  the  other.  She  taught  us  not 
only  to  have  an  honorable  pride  in  winning  such  laurels  as 
we  could,  but  she  taught  us  to  cherish  an  equally  honorable 
pride  in  refusing  to  wear  any  laurels  which  we  had  not  our- 
selves won.  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Hiram  fixed  this 
thought  in  the  hearts  of  her  children. 

A  second  ideal  which  Hiram  taught  us  to  admire  was 
that  of  a  man  who  is  in  reality  just  ivJiat  he  professes  to  be; 
a  man  zvJio  zvishes  to  be  knozvn  to  be  just  what  he  is. 

"To  be,  rather  than  to  seem,"  this  was  the  motto.  This 
second  principle  is  in  very  close  sympathy  with  the  first. 
The  man  who  stands  upon  his  own  feet,  instead  of  being 
carried  by  others,  the  man  who  has  an  honest  pride  in  win- 
ning success  and  reputation  for  himself,  and  who  feels  it  to 
be  a  species  of  degradation  to  Vv'ear  borrowed  honors  as 
being  somebody's  son,  such  a  man  is  likely  also  to  feel  it  as 
a  degradation  to  wear  honors  which  he  is  supposed  to  de- 
serve, but  which  he  knows  he  does  not. 

Another  ideal  v.'hich  was  always  before  us  in  the  days 
of  which  I  write,  and  which  beyond  all  doubt  made  its  im- 
print upon  our  characters,  was  that  of  a  minute  man — a 
man  zvho  is  alzvays  ready,  a  man  zvJio  has  all  his  faculties 
under  such  discipline  and  control  that  they  obey  his  zvill, 
and  furnish  to  order  the  best  product  of  zvhich  they  are 
capable. 

When  you  and  I  were  students  here,  we  were  taught 
to  have  a  genuine  pride  in  being  always  ready,  "semper 
paratus,"  as  the  good  old  Latin  proverb  is.  And  this  '"'al- 
ways ready"  has  a  wonderful  number  of  applications.  It 
means  never  tardy,  always  there  on  time ;  it  means  that  you 
always  come  prepared,  that  you  have  the  exercise  for  which 
you  were  appointed,  that  you  have  the  report  which  you 
promised  to  write  for  the  committee,  that  you  have  brought 
the  documents  on  which  the  business  depends ;  it  means  that 
you  always  come  zvell  prepared,  that  your  declamation  is 
committed  so  you  do  not  blunder  and  flounder,  that  in  your 
essay  you  have  done  yourself  justice,  that  your  committee 
report  is  written  and  in  order,  not  oral  and  scrappy ;  it 
means  that  you  are  ready  to  undertake,  to  step  in,  to  go 


l6o  UISrOKV    OF    IIIRAM    COLLEGE. 

forward,  to  take  responsibility ;  it  means  that  when  you  are 
wanted,  you  can  be  counted  on,  if  the  thing  itself  is  right ; 
it  means  that  you  are  a  ready  off-hand  speaker,  that  you 
can  rise  without  a  moment's  warning,  gather  A^our  thoughts 
together  while  3'ou  talk,  speak  to  the  point,  strike  the  nail 
on  the  head,  drive  it  home,  and  clinch  it.  And  this  being 
"always  ready"  is  a  habit  that  can  be  acquired,  an  art  that 
can  be  learned.  The  reason  why  one  man  is  always  ready 
and  can  be  counted  on,  and  another  always  comes  too  late 
or  unprepared,  is  that  one  of  them  has  trained  himself  or 
has  been  trained  to  be  on  time  and  ready,  and  the  other 
has  allowed  himself  or  has  been  allowed  to  be  sleepy  and 
slow. 

Some  of  the  papers  told  a  good  story  lately  to  illustrate 
Russian  and  Turkish  military  discipline.  Two  officers,  one 
of  each  nation,  being  stationed  near  each  other  during  a 
truce,  were  boasting  of  the  drill  of  their  respective  armies. 
The  Russian  declared  that  so  perfect  was  the  discipline  in 
the  Russian  army  that  if  he  sent  a  soldier  on  an  ordinary 
duty,  he  could  tell  at  each  instant  what  progress  the  soldier 
had  made.  To  prove  this  he  called  an  orderly  and  directed 
him  to  make  a  small  purchase  at  a  neighboring  shop.  The 
orderly  saluted  and  disappeared.  The  officer,  taking  out 
his  watch,  marked  the  time.  "Now,"  said  he,  "he  has  turned 
the  first  corner ;  now  he  has  reached  the  shop ;  now  he  has 
made  the  purchase ;  now  he  is  half-way  back ;  now  he  is  at 
the  door."  At  that  instant  his  step  was  heard  in  the  pas- 
sage ;  he  entered,  delivered  his  purchase,  saluted  and  retired. 
The  Turkish  officer,  with  the  utmost  coolness,  declared  that 
tliat  was  very  well,  but  his  orderly  would  do  just  the  same. 
So  he  summoned  Mustapha,  and  gave  him  a  similar  com- 
mission. ]\Iustapha  disappeared.  Looking  at  his  watch, 
the  Turk  m.arked  the  time,  saying:  "Now  he  is  half-way 
there ;  now  he  has  made  the  purchase ;  now  he  turns  the 
corner ;  now  he  is  at  the  door ;"  and,  sure  enough,  his  step 
was  heard  in  the  passage.  "Mustapha,"  said  the  Turk, 
"have  you  fulfilled  my  orders?"  "Most  worshipful  master." 
answered  Mustapha,  "I  have  not  yet  found  my  shoes !" 
Now  the  reason  why  the  Russian  soldier  was  ready  and  on 
time,  was  that  he  had  been  trained  to  be  ready;  and  the 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1867.  l6l 

reason  why  Mustapha  couldn't  find  his  shoes,  was  that  he 
had  been  allowed  to  go  in  that  slip-shod,  shambling  way. 

Hiram  students  twenty  years  ago  had  in  a  wonderful 
degree  the  ideal  of  the  man  always  ready,  semper  paratus. 
The  whole  school  was  like  a  well-drilled  army,  ready  at  the 
word  "forward !"  It  is  impossible  to  calculate  the  worth 
of  that  discipline. 

The  last  of  all  the  ideals  given  us  at  Hiram  which  I 
shall  name  to-day,  was  that  of  the  man  who  wins  by  work, 
not  by  genius,  nor  by  luck,  and  therefore  ahvays  zvins. 

There  is  a  class  of  men  in  the  world  of  whom  Dickens 
has  given  us  the  type  in  his  immortal  character  of  Micaw- 
ber.  They  are  not  destitute  of  natural  ability.  They  are 
capable  of  forming  large  plans  and  cherishing  great  expec- 
tations. But  they  are  worshipers  of  the  goddess  Luck. 
They  are  "waiting  for  something  to  turn  up."  And  they 
are  expecting  something  every  day.  They  are  always  ex- 
pecting something ;  and  their  hopefulness  is  unfailing.  Dis- 
appointment never  damps  their  ardor  nor  changes  their 
plan.  Luck  failed  them  yesterday.  Luck  has  brought  them 
nothing  to-day.  "But  something  will  turn  up  by  to-morrow." 
Such  men  never  do  anything.  They  are  simply  waiting  for 
something  to  happen.  These  worshipers  of  Luck,  these 
iMicawbers,  were  not  all  of  them  born  Micawbers.  Many 
of  them  were  made  such  by  some  extraordinary  misfortune 
of  that  kind  which  people  call  a  stroke  of  good  luck — a 
windfall.  One  of  them  once  made  fifty  thousand  in  real 
estate  in  a  few  days  (and  lost  it  all  in  a  good  deal  less 
time)  ;  another  "struck  ile,"  and  was  for  a  few  days  one  of 
the  nabobs ;  a  third  made  ten  thousand  in  one  day  in  Wall 
street,  (and  of  course  lost  it  all  the  next  day,  and  has  since 
lost  as  much  more  as  he  could  borrow).  And  all  these  men 
have  been  completely  ruined  by  the  one  piece  of  good  luck. 
They  think,  and  plan  and  dream  of  nothing  but  that  stroke 
of  hick  and  how  to  make  another.  I'hcy  have  been  so  daz- 
zled and  bewildered  by  finding  that  one  nugget  of  gold,  that 
they  just  wander  round  and  round  the  spot  in  hopes  of 
finding  the  mate  to  it.  The  world  is  full  of  Micawbers 
"waiting  for  something  to  turn  up." 

It  would  be  unsafe  to  say  that  there  are  no  Micawbers 


162  HISTORY    OF    IIIKAM    COLLEGE. 

among  the  old  students  of  Hiram ;  but  it  is  not  unsafe  to 
say  that  iiiram  never  furnished  one  as  the  natural  product 
of  her  soil.  Her  climate  has  never  been  favorable  to  such 
growths.  In  opposition  to  all  the  plans  and  ways  of  all  the 
Micawbers,  Hiram  has  always  believed  in  work — in  straight- 
forward, unyielding  work,  as  the  key  which  opens  every 
lock,  as  the  "Open,  Sesame,"  for  every  door. 

There  is  another  class  of  men,  very  numerous  in  the 
world,  which  Hiram  has  never  sought  to  encourage.  I  mean 
now  the  geniuses,  the  semi-geniuses,  the  imitation  geniuses, 
and  the  would-be  geniuses.  The  characteristic  of  this  class 
is  that  tl'icy  do  nothing  by  any  set,  definite  or  regular  effort; 
but  they  do  great  things  (or  at  least  they  intend  to,  such  is 
the  theory),  "when  the  inspiration  comes,"  v;hen  they  are 
in  the  mood  for  it,  when  they  have  ''a  happy  thought"  or  a 
"favored  hour."  I  believe  most  profoundly  in  these  inspira- 
tions— these  moods,  and  these  favored  hours ;  but  the  inspi- 
ration is  to  be  found  by  faithful  seeking ;  the  mood  is  to  be 
secured  by  patient  application ;  and  the  favored  hour  is  like 
the  favored  liour  of  the  mother  bird,  when  long  brooding 
is  rewarded  by  the  stir  and  sound  of  life.  These  would-be 
geniuses,  of  course,  have  no  mental  drill.  To  seek  anything 
like  discipline  would  be  to  abandon  the  theory.  The  imme- 
diate practical  effect  of  adopting  the  genius  notion,  is  to 
release  all  the  mental  powers  from  the  control  of  the  will. 
They  become  at  once  like  an  army  with  no  discipline.  Now 
Carlyle  says:  "Every  man  is  as  lazy  as  he  dares  to  be." 
But  the  would-be  genius  is,  by  his  theory,  invited  and  en- 
couraged to  be  lazy.  And  then,  it  will  be  found  practically, 
that  the  more  we  wait  for  moods,  the  less  the  moods  wil' 
come ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  more  we  labor  without 
the  inspiration,  the  more  surely  will  the  inspiration  be  given. 

Hiram  has  always  held  before  her  children  the  ideal  of 
the  man  who  wins  his  success  by  heroic  work,  and  not  by 
genius  nor  by  luck.  I  am  not  able,  in  all  cases,  to  say  from 
which  one  of  our  teachers  each  lesson  came.  I  do  not.  in 
every  case,  remember  what  teacher  most  emphasized  or  first 
emphasized  in  our  hearing,  a  given  lesson.  I  know  that  for 
some  lessons  we  are  chiefly  indebted  to  him  whom  we  may 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,    1863-1867.  163 

well  call  the  father  of  this  institution,  its  first  President,  A. 
S.  Hay  den. 

I  know  that  we  are  indebted  for  many  lessons  of  in- 
struction to  that  teacher  of  rare  power,  that  woman  of  rare 
breadth  of  mind,  Miss  Almeda  A.  Booth.  And  I  know,  too. 
that  to  many  other  teachers  whom  I  cannot  name,  our  debt 
is  great. 

One  lesson,  one  ideal,  the  last  which  I  have  named,  that 
of  the  man  who  wins  by  work,  and  therefore  always  wins, 
that  one  lesson  (at  least),  I  am  able  to  trace  directly  to  Mr. 
Garfield.  I  shall  never  forget  one  powerful  address  whicli 
he  gave  to  a  large  body  of  young  men  preparing  for  the 
ministry.  I  preserve  for  you  one  grand  sentence.  "Gen- 
tlemen," said  he,  "I  can  express  my  creed  of  life  in  one 
word:  /  believe  in  work!  I  believe  in  work.  In  Dickens' 
Great  Expectations,  Joe  Gargery,  the  big  burly  blacksmith, 
meekly  submits  to  be  bulldozed  by  his  small  but  terrific  wife, 
of  whom  nevertheless  he  is  very  proud.  So  he  tells  Pip  at 
one  time,  as  you  remember,  "She  is  a  fine  figure  of  a  woman, 
Pip,  a  fine — figure — of — a — woman  ;"*****  but  when 
she — gets — on — the  ♦•am — page,  Pip,  candour  compels  fur 
to  admit  that  she — is — a — Bustei* ! !"  Dickens  says  that  Joe 
spoke  that  last  word  "as  if  it  began  with  at  least  twelve  cap- 
ital B's."  If  you  wish  to  know  the  full  force  of  that  sen- 
tence about  the  creed  of  tvork,  as  Mr.  Garfield  uttered  it, 
and  as  his  own  life  habits  have  enforced  it,  write 
it  with  at  least  twelve  capital  W's !  To  say  that  we 
thank  him  for  the  lesson,  that  we  thank  him  for  all  his  les- 
sons, that  we  love  him  because  we  owe  to  him  the  best  half 
of  all  we  are,  is  saying  less  than  the  truth,  and  less  than 
our  hearts  have  always  said. 

Dear  old  schoolmates  of  the  days  long  since  passed  !  1 
have  sought  thus  to  gather  up  a  handful  only  of  the  pearls, 
pearls  of  greatest  price,  which  were  poured  out  before  us 
here  in  such  glittering  abundance  in  those  golden  days.  The 
world  may  have  found  us  rich  or  poor  in  mental  or  moral 
worth,  but  be  that  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that  our  teachers, 
out  of  full  treasure  houses,  brought  forth  treasures  to  en- 
rich us,  without  measure ;  yes,  without  money  and  without 
price. 


164  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

During  the  seventeen  years  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  29 
persons  were  cliosen  on  its  Board  of  Trustees :  Carnot  Ma- 
son, Symonds  Ryder,  Isaac  Errett,  Wil- 
Numberand         y^^^   Hayden,    Zeb    Rudolph,    Frederick 
Trrsteel  Williams,  Aaron  Davis,  J.  H.  Jones,  J.  A. 

Ford,  William  Richards,  George  King,  A. 
L.  Soule,  Alvah  Udall,  Dr.  AI.  Jewett,  Alva  Humiston,  Har- 
mon Austin,  W.  J.  Ford,  A.  S.  Hayden,  Thomas  Carroll, 
Hartwell  Ryder.  J.  P.  Robison,  R.  M.  Bishop,  D.  W.  Can- 
field,  W.  W.  Richards,  A.  B.  Way,  C.  B.  Lockwood,  J.  H. 
Rhodes,  A.  Teachout,  and  James  A.  Garfield.  Of  these  C. 
B.  Lockwood,  A.  Teachout,  and  W.  J.  Ford  are  members  of 
the  Board  of  1900. 

Outside  of  the  Faculty  17  different  persons  were  chosen 

to  act  as.  Solicitors  or  Financial  Agents  for  the  Institute: 

William   Hayden,   Horace   Dutchin,    Calvin    Smith,   J.    H. 

Jones,  Aaron  Davis,  Deacon  Chapin,  S. 

Solicitors  j^     Willard,    Symonds    Ryder,    Charles 

.    ,.,  ,  Brown,  J.  A.  Ford,  A.  B.  Green,  Freder- 

Institute.  •'  ' 

ick  Williams,  W.  A.  Belding,  Brown  Pen- 
niman,  W.  J.  Ford,  John  Encell,  and  B.  F.  Waters.  All  of 
these  were  duly  authorized  to  raise  funds  for  the  Institute. 
All  had  some  success  but  the  largest  returns  came  from  the 
labors  of  William  Hayden,  Aaron  Davis,  Dr.  W.  A.  Beld- 
ing and  Wallace  J.  Ford. 

For   17  years   only  two  persons   were 

Presidents  elected  to  preside  over  the  Board  of  Trus- 

of  the  tees.     These    were    Carnot    Mason    and 

Board.  Alvah  Udall.     Mr.  Mason  was  President 

for  16  years. 

c       .    .  Dr.  L.  W^  Trask  was  Secretarv  of  the 

aecretaries  _         ,      .  ,_  -  '      , 

q{  jj^g  Board  of  Trustees  for  15  years,  and  was 

Board.  succeeded  by  Dr.  A.  J.  Squire,  who  served 

the  remainder  of  the  Eclectic  period,  and 

for  many  years  afterwards  for  the  Cofiege  Board. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1S67.  165 

Symonds    Ryder    held    the    office    of 

Treasurers  of        Treasurer  for  ii  years,  and  was  succeed- 

the  Board.  ed  by  Zeb  Rudolph  who  held  the  place 

untifiSaS. 

Including  A.  S.  Hayden  who  held  the 

position  for  seven  years  the  following  per- 

Principals  ^^^^  were  elected  Principal  of  the  Eclectic 

T,  ,    ..     T    *•*  ♦       Institute :  A.  S.  Hayden,  James  A.  Gar- 
Eclectic    Institute.  ■'  •' 

field,   H.  W.  Everest,  C.  W.  Hey  wood, 

A.  J.  Thomson,  and  John  M.  Atwater. 
Within  the  17  years  of  the  Eclectic  Institute — 58  dif- 
ferent persons  occupied  either  principal  or  subordinate  places 
as  teachers  in  the  Institution :  A.  S.  Hayden,  Thomas  Mun- 

nell,  Norman  Dunshee,  Charles  D.  Wil- 

Teachers  ^^^^  Almeda  A.  Booth,  Phoebe  M.  Drake, 

Eciectk!  institute,    ^aura    A.    Clark,    Calista    O.    Carlton. 

Sarah  Parker,  Amaziah  Hull,  James  A. 
Garfield,  Harriet  E.  Wood,  Harriet  Warren,  S.  L.  Hillier,  J. 
B.  Crane,  Mrs.  Charlotte  R.  Crane,  Sarah  Udall,  Julia  J. 
Smith,  J.  H.  Rhodes,*  G.  C.  Reed,  Hannah  S.  Morton,  Jen- 


*  The  reason  Mr.  Rhodes  gave  for  going  to  Hiram  is  interesting. 
In  his  address  before  the  Hiram  College  Reunion.  June  11,  1880,  he 
said : 

This  Institution,  located  here  in  the  heart  of  Yankeedom.  thirty 
years  ago  and  more,  was  brought  to  my  attention  by  chance,  or  mere 
accident — the  simple  circumstance  that  I  happened  to  sleep  with  a 
preacher  one  night.  That  night  as  I  wished  to  sleep  he  wanted  to 
know  what  I  had  been  doing.  I  said  I  had  been  teaching  school  that 
winter.  He  said.  "You  had  better  go  to  Hiram."  I  said,  "Where's 
Hiram?"  He  said,  "Here  on  the  Western  Reserve."  Well,  I  con- 
cluded I  would  go  to  Hiram  on  the  recommendation  of  B.  F.  Pcrkey. 
I  came  to  Ravenna  by  cars,  and  through  seventeen  miles  of  mud,  in 
March,  1853,  landing  at  the  hotel,  at  that  time  under  the  hill. 

In  the  morning  I  rose  up  and  went  to  the  College  grounds,  ex- 
pecting to  see,  even  on  that  wintry  morning,  ladies  and  gentlemen 
parading  round  the  fountain  that  I  had  seen  pictured.  I  went  there 
and  saw  the  gentleman  whose  silvery  hair  (alluding  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hayden)  was  as  white  then  as  now. 

To  his  cordial  grace  and  kindness  in  welcoming  me  to  Hiram  I 


l66  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

nie  A.  Chapin,  Piatt  R.  Spencer,  J.  W.  Lusk,  PI.  W.  Ever- 
est, Mary  Atwater,  Sarah  L.  Spencer,  H.  C.  Spencer,  H.  A. 
Spencer,  L.  P.  Spencer,  John  M.  Atwater,  W.  C.  Webster, 
Iliram  S.  Chamberlain,  Burke  Aaron  Hinsdale,*  F.  A.  Wil- 
liams, Julia  A.  Wilson,  T.  E.  Suliot,  J.  C.  Cannon,  Nellie 
Rudolph,  C.  W.  Heywood,  William  Lowe,  L.  G.  Felch, 
Mary  Buckingham,  Mary  E.  Moore,  Statira  M.  Newcomb, 
A.  J.  Thomson,  H.  A.  Coffeen,  H.  C.  Mitchell,  Julia  B. 
Treat,  Jasper  S.  Ross,  Osmer  C.  Hill,  Sarah  A.  Bartlett, 
Julia  E.  Pardee,  Tillie  Newcomb,  W.  H.  Rogers,  Bailey  S. 
Dean,  Grove  E.  Barber,  and  Clayton  C.  Smith. 

The  students  of  Hiram  have  always  been  an  important 

factor  in  its  progress  and  success ;  indeed,  there  could  not  be 

a  school  without  students.     Students  are  the  life  of  a  school. 

In  general  Hiram  students  have  always 

The  Students         ^^^^  ^f  ^  j^j^j^  ^^^^^      'Pj^jg  jg  especially 

„  ,  ..  r  ...  .  true  of  the  Eclectic  period.  Coming  as 
Eclectic    Institute.  ^  ° 

they  did  mostly  from  country  homes  and 
from  families  in  moderate  circumstances,  with  their  main 


think  is  largely  due  the  fact  that  I  remained  as  long  as  I  did.  I  re- 
member him  kindly.  Most  of  the  places  were  then  filled,  and  he  sent 
me  to  board  with  a  Mr.  Packer,  in  the  village  here.  It  has  always 
been  a  conundrum  to  me  how  Mr.  Packer  could  board  me  for  $1.25 
a  week,  and  have  my  washing  and  mending  done. 

I  remember  a  circumstance  that  had  much  to  do  with  my  remain- 
ing at  Hiram.  I  was  a  little  homesick,  and  one  day  I  went  into  the 
large  hall  of  the  College  building,  and  the  tall,  muscular,  tow-headed 
man  in  charge  there,  who  was  teaching  Algebra,  came  up  to  me.  and, 
seeing  a  cloud  over  my  face,  threw  his  arms  about  me  in  an  ardent 
way.  Immediately  the  homesickness  disappeared.  The  tow-headed 
man  (General  G.)  has  not  so  much  hair  to-day  as  he  had  then.  Hard 
knocks  in  public  life  have  uprooted  much  of  his  hair.  As  we  are  not 
permitted  to  refer  to  politics,  I  cannot  refer  to  him  any  more,  as  most 
of  his  life  has  been  political. 

*  As  I  was  writing  these  names  the  news  came  to  me  that  B.  A. 
Hinsdale  died  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Nov.  29,  1900,  one  week  later  in  the 
same   month  than  he   entered  Hiram  as   a  student  47   years   ago. 

— jF.  Af.  Green, 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1S63-1S67.  167 

purpose  to  get  as  much  out  of  the  school  as  they  could, 
it  is  not  strange  that  they  should  manifest  a  high  character 
and  deportment.  Among  its  thousands  of  students  there 
were  only  a  few  who  proved  unworthy  representatives  of 
their  families  or  the  school.  Counting  up  the  footings  in 
the  annual  catalogues,  in  the  17  years  of  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute there  were  6,518  students  of  which  3,689  were  males 
and  2,829  were  females.  This  aggregate  represents  about 
4,ocx)  different  students.  These  students  were  widely  dis- 
tributed, showing  that  as  an  Academy  of  high  grade  Hiram 
was  not  a  provincial  school.  They  came  from  Wisconsin. 
Canada,  New  York,  Illinois,  England,  Michigan,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Indiana,  Iowa,  Virginia,  Vermont,  Kentucky,  Minne- 
sota, Massachusetts,  California,  Louisiana,  Germany,  Ne- 
braska, Maine,  Missouri,  Texas,  and,  of  course,  the  largest 
number  from  Ohio,  Northeastern  Ohio  furnishing  the  most 
impressive  number. 

It  has  been  observed  that  "every  good  school  has  a  spirit, 
and  the  spirit  of  one  good  school  is  very  much  like  the  spirit 
of  another  good  school."     Every  school  has  some  character- 
istic, distinctive  and  peculiar   if  not   rc- 

<-.  .  .,  markable.     It  may  be  that  its  administra- 

Spirit.  ■; 

tion  is  of  a  superior  and  brilliant  sort  as, 
for  instance,  in  the  case  of  Williams  College  and  Mark 
Hopkins ;  it  may  be  that  some  teacher  has  shown  unusual 
and  prodigious  power  and  skill  in  the  classroom  and  im- 
pressed on  all  his  wonderful  personality ;  it  may  be  that  the 
pupils  have  illustrated  in  a  large  degree,  the  best  features 
of  student  life,  and  have  thus  given  to  the  School  a  spirit 
strongly  marked  and  easily  seen.  This  "spirit"  is  not  bad 
unless  it  becomes  extravagant,  and  it  can  do  a  school  much 
good.  During  the  days  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  there  was 
a  "Hiram  spirit"  that  never  went  down.  Its  sources  were 
from  the  several  springs  just  mentioned:  The  administra- 


j68  history  of  hiram  college. 

tion  was  attractive  and  controlling;  some  of  its  teachers 
were  of  the  first  rank ;  and  the  character  of  its  student  body 
was  more  than  usually  homogeneous.  In  Mr,  Hinsdale's 
address  at  the  "Jubilee  of  Hiram  College"  June  22,  1900, 
and  one  of  the  very  last  addresses  he  ever  delivered,  speak- 
ing of  "the  spirit  of  schools"  and  of  the  "Hiram  spirit,"  he 
said :  "It  is  a  kind  of  poetry  that  covers  the  hard,  bare,  bleak 
realism  of  life  until  the  students  become  sufficiently  mature 
to  grapple  with  those  realities.  Do  not  understand  me  to 
mean  that  the  Hiram  spirit  is  simply  the  conceit  of  youth. 
Our  dear  friend  Everest,  replying  to  the  question,  once  told 
me  that  there  was  a  distinctive  Hiram  spirit,  stating  that  the 
directness,  clearness  of  head,  and  earnestness  of  purpose 
which  marked  the  Disciple  movement  in  its  early  days 
flowed  into  the  School  and  gave  it  character,  not  merely  in 
religion,  but  in  other  things  as  well.  This  may  well  have 
been  so.  At  all  events,  I  have  thought,  and  still  think,  that 
Hiram  students  as  a  body  have  been  an  earnest,  thorough- 
going, and  effective  group  of  men  and  women.  If  the  old 
School  has  never  sent  out  from  its  halls  eminent  scholars, 
great  thinkers  or  distinguished  men  of  letters,  it  has  cer- 
tainly sent  out  thousands  of  young  men  and  women  well- 
equipped  in  mind  and  character  to  do  worthily  their  work 
in  the  world.  The  best  thing  that  Garfield  ever  did  for 
Hiram  students  was  to  teach  them  to  put  away  cant  and 
other  forms  of  insincerity,  to  cultivate  truth  and  reality,  to 
be  themselves,  to  be  strong,  and  to  quit  them  like  men.  It 
was  a  great  lesson.     It  still  lives  in  Hiram  College." 

In  the  selection  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  Hiram  has 

always  been  fortunate.    None  have  accepted  a  place  in  that 

important  and  honorable  body,  except  those  who  sincerely 

desired  the  success  of  the  Institution ;  and 

Unity  of  ^^^   meetings   of   the    Board   throughout 

Action.  ^^^  Eclectic  period  were  characterized  by 

frank  and  strong  discussion  and  investigation,  and,  in  the 


BOWLER  HALL:     Erected  in  1«80. 


I  rirri 


MILLEU  HALL:    Erected  in  1889. 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1S63-1867.  169 

end,  by  unity  of  action.     This  condition  of  mind  and  heart 
on  the  part  of  those  who  were  chosen  to  guide  the  interests 
of  the  School  had  much  to  do  in  its  progress  and  prosperity. 
But  the  days  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  were  drawing 
towards  the  close.     Some  of  its  best  friends  had  fondly  an- 
ticipated the  day  when  the  School  should  reach  the  stature 
of  a  College.     Not  many  at  the  beginning 
Closing  Dajs        looked  SO  far  ahead  as  this,  but  some  did ; 
of  the  and  the  Trustees  and  friends  of  the  West- 

Eclectic  Institute,  ern  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  finally  an- 
nounced that  they  had  "determined  to  put 
in  execution  the  long  cherished  purpose  of  making  the 
Eclectic  Institute  a  first  class  educational  institution,  with 
power  of  conferring  degrees.  The  subject  having  been  held 
under  advisement,  action  was  taken  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Board,  on  the  20th  day  of  February,  1867,  to  carry  into  ef- 
fect this  purpose.  The  style  and  title  of  Hiram  College 
was  adopted.  This  movement  having  been  endorsed  by  a 
large  convention  of  the  friends  of  the  Institution,  held  at 
Hiram  on  the  12th  of  June,  the  College  will  go  into  full  op- 
eration at  the  opening  of  the  school  year,  Tuesday,  August 
13,  1867."  Nothing  remained  now  except  to  close  the  doors 
of  one  school  and  open  the  doors  of  another. 

The    Commencement    programme    for 
The  Last  June  13,  1867.  has  a  historic  interest  for 

Commencement.      it  marks  the  line  between  the  Academy 
and  the  College,  and  it  is  given  here : 

jforenoon. 

PRAYER 

MUSIC  MUSIC 

GERMAN  SALUTATORY 

Alice  Squire,  Bridge  Crerk. 

ESSAY,      -  -  -  .  .  Under  the  Juggernaut 

Cklia    BiDLAKE,  Manilla 

ORATION, Bismarck 

T.   A.  Snow,  Auhum 

music:— AWAV,    AWAY 

ORATION, How  Soon? 


170  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

J.  M.  Monroe,   Mogadore 
ORATION,  .....  Westward  Ho! 

J.    B.  JOJINSOK,   Middle  field 

ESSAY,  ....  When  mj  Ship  Comes  in 

Helen  Kent,  Aurora 

MUSIC — BY    THE    BAND 

DISCUSSION,  -         Should  Polygamy  be  Suppressed  by  Force? 

Aff. — A.    A.   Amidon,    Geneva 
Neg. — E.  A.   Pardee,   Hiram 

MUSIC — BY    THE    BAND 

ESSAYS,  ....  Election  Day,  A.  D.,  1900 

Mattie  Moork,  Parkman 
EsTELLA  Udall,  Hiram 
THE  ECLECTIC  MISCELLANY 

EDITORS 

H.  N.   Mertz,  Bellair  Ida  M.  Slocum,  Pit  Hole  City,  Pa. 

MUSIC — TO-DAY 

ORATION,       -         Hearken  to  me;   I,  also,  will  show  mine  Opinion 

D.  C.  Collins,  Nicholasville,  Ky. 

ORATION,         -  -  The  Whirligig  of  Time  and  its  Revenues 

S.  E.   Young,  Hiram 

music — ALL  BY  THE  SHADY  GREENWOOD  TREE 

Btternoon. 


music LASHEU    TO    THE    MAST 

ORATION,  .....  Mathemati.s 

C.   H.  Leonard,   Chagrin  Fails 
ESSAY,        ....  Shall  a  Woman  read  Greek? 

Hlanche  Slocum,  Pit  Hole  City,  Pa. 
ESSAY,     ---.-.  John  Chinaman 

Alice  Amidon,   Gene- a 
ORATION,  ......  Obscurity 

B.  E.   Wakefield,   Gremsburg 

music THE    OLD    MOUNTAIN     TREE 

COLLOQUIAL  DISCUSSION,  .... 

Has  Secretary  Seward  Bought  an  Elephant? 
E.  S.  Hart,  Hiram  O.  C.  Hubbell,  Bedford 

music BY    THE     BAND 

ESSAY,  ....  Exogens  or  Endogens 

Orissa  Udall,  Hiram 

VALEDICTORY,  ....  End  of  Vol.  I 

B.  S.  Dean,  Center ,   Wis. 

MUSIC — THE    OLD    ECLECTIC    BELL 


After  the  Commencement  Exercises,  the  address  before  the  College 
Societies  will  be  delivered  by 

GENERAL  J.  A.  GARFIELD 


MUSIC — OLD    EASTER    ANTHEM 


ITS    LATER    LIFK    AND    CLOSE,     1863-1S67.  171 

Of  the  names  of  those  who  appear  on  the  programme 
some  are  dead,  some  are  in  the  far  West,  some  in  the  kitchen 
or  among  the  "household  gods,"  some  are  lawyers,  some 
are  preachers,  and  two,  E.  B.  Wakefield  and  Bailey  S.  Dean, 
are  able  and  honorable  Professors  in  the  Faculty  for  1900. 
One  of  these  out  of  the  "Obscurity"  of  the  occasion,  has 
risen  to  a  high  place  as  preacher  and  educator;  the  other 
closed  for  the  students  Vol  I.  of  the  School  on  Hiram  Hill. 

It  was  fitting  that  Mr.  Garfield,  the  student,  the  teacher, 
and  the  Principal,  should  make  the  last  address  for  the  "Old 
Eclectic"  and  the  first  for  Hiram  College.  March  4,  1881, 
from  the  East  portico  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  in  his 
Inaugural  address  as  President  of  the  United  States,  Mr. 
Garfield  said :  "We  stand  to-day  on  an  eminence  which  over- 
looks a  hundred  years  of  national  life — a  century  crowded 
with  perils,  but  crowned  with  the  triumphs  of  liberty  and 
law.  Before  continuing  the  onward  march,  let  us  pause  on 
this  height,  for  a  moment,  to  strengthen  our  faith  and  to 
renew  our  hope  by  a  glance  at  the  pathway  along  which  our 
people  have  travelled."  The  great  statesman  then  proceed- 
ed to  reveal  the  pathway  over  which  the  Nation  had  trav- 
elled to  reach  the  heights  of  a  century  of  progress.  When 
this  was  done  he  looked  towards  the  future  and  forecasted 
its  progress,  the  expansion  of  its  influence,  and  the  enlarge- 
ment of  its  empire. 

In  much  the  same  way  did  he  make  his  appeal  to  the 
young  people  of  Hiram  in  his  address  before  the  Literary 
Societies  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  on  this  notable  Commence- 
ment Day.  In  part  he  said :  "In  ordinary  times,  we  could 
scarcely  find  two  subjects  wider  apart  than  the  meditations 
of  a  school-boy,  when  he  asks  what  he  shall  do  with  him- 
self, and  how  he  shalf  do  it,  and  the  forecastings  of  a  great 
nation,  when  it  studies  the  laws  of  its  own  life,  and  endeav- 
ors to  solve  the  problem  of  its  destiny.  But  -now  there  is 
more  than  a  resemblance  between  the  nation's   work  and 


173  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

yours.  If  the  two  arc  not  identical,  they  at  least  bear  the 
relation  of  the  whole  to  the  part.  The  nation  having  passed 
through  the  childhood  of  its  history,  and  being  about  to  enter 
upon  a  new  life,  based  on  a  fuller  recognition  of  the  rights 
of  manhood,  has  discovered  that  liberty  can  be  safe  only 
when  the  suffrage  is  illuminated  by  education.  It  has  now 
perceived  that  the  life  and  light  of  a  nation  are  inseparable. 
Hence  the  Federal  government  has  established  a  National 
Department  of  Education,  for  the  purpose  of  teaching 
young  men  and  women  how  to  be  good  citizens.  You, 
young  gentlemen,  have  passed  the  limits  of  childhood,  and 
being  about  to  enter  the  larger  world  of  manhood,  with  its 
manifold  struggles  and  aspirations,  are  now  confronted 
with  the  question,  'What  must  I  do  to  fit  myself  most  com- 
pletely, not  for  being  a  citizen  merely,  but  for  being  "all 
that  doth  become  a  man,"  living  in  the  full  light  of  the 
Christian  civilization  of  America?'  Your  disenthralled  and 
victorious  country  asks  you  to  be  educated  for  her  sake,  and 
the  noblest  aspirations  of  your  being  still  more  imperatively 
ask  it  for  your  own  sake. 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  the  purpose  of  all  study 
is  two-fold, — to  discipline  our  faculties,  and  to  acquire 
knowledge  for  the  duties  of  life.  It  is  happily  provided  in 
the  constitution  of  the  human  mind,  that  the  labor  by  which 
knowledge  is  acquired  is  the  only  means  of  disciplining  the 
powers.  It  may  be  stated  as  a  general  rule,  that  if  we 
compel  ourselves  to  learn  what  we  ought  to  know,  and  use 
it  when  learned,  our  discipline  will  take  care  of  itself. 

The  student  should  study  himself,  his  relations  to  so- 
ciety, to  nature,  and  to  art;  and  above  all,  and  through  all 
these,  he  should  study  the  relations  of  himself,  society,  na- 
ture, and  art,  to  God,  the  Author  of  them  all. 

Of  course  it  is  not  possible,  nor  is  it  desirable,  to  con- 
fine the  course  of  development  exclusively  to  this  order ;  for 


Wi 


ITS    LATER    LIFE    AND    CLOSE,     1S63-1S67.  173 

Truth  is  so  related  and  correlated,  that  no  department  of 
her  realm  is  wholly  isolated.  We  cannot  learn  much  that 
pertains  to  the  industry  of  society,  without  learning  some- 
thing of  the  material  world  and  the  laws  which  govern  it. 
We  cannot  study  nature  profoundly  without  bringing  our- 
selves into  communion  with  the  spirit  of  art,  which  per- 
vades and  fills  the  universe. 

While  acquiring  this  kind  of  knowledge,  the  student  is 
on  a  perpetual  voyage  of  discovery, — searching  what  he  is, 
and  what  he  may  become ;  how  he  is  related  to  the  universe, 
and  how  the  harmonies  of  the  outer  world  respond  to  the 
voice  within  him.  It  is  in  this  range  of  study  that  he 
learns  most  fully  his  own  tastes  and  aptitudes — and  gen- 
erally determines  what  his  life  shall  be." 

In  the  conclusion  of  his  speech  Mr.  Garfield  said :  "I 
beseech  you  to  remember  that  the  genius  of  success  is  still 
the  genius  of  labor.  If  hard  work  is  not  another  name  for 
talent,  it  is  the  best  possible  substitute  for  it.  In  the  long 
run  the  chief  difference  in  men  will  be  found  in  the  amount 
of  work  they  do.  Do  not  trust  to  what  lazy  men  call  the 
Spur  of  the  occasion.  If  you  wish  to  wear  spurs  in  the 
tournament  of  life,  you  must  buckle  them  to  your  own  heels 
before  you  enter  the  lists.  Men  look  with  admiring  wonder 
on  a  great  intellectual  effort,  like  Webster's  reply  to  Hayne. 
and  seem  to  think  that  it  leaped  into  life  by  the  inspiration 
of  the  moment.  But  if  by  some  intellectual  chemistry  we 
could  resolve  that  masterful  speech  into  its  several  ele- 
ments of  power,  and  trace  each  to  its  source,  we  should  find 
that  every  constituent  force  had  been  elaborated  twenty 
years  before, — it  may  be,  in  some  hour  of  earnest  intellect- 
ual labor.  Occasion  may  be  the  bugle-call  that  summons 
an  army  to  battle ;  but  the  blast  of  a  bugle  cannot  ever  make 
soldiers,  or  win  victories. 

And  finally,  young  gentlemen,  learn  to  cultivate  a  wise 


174  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

reliance,  based  not  on  what  you  hope,  but  on  what  you  per- 
form. It  has  long  been  the  habit  of  this  Institution,  if  I 
may  so  speak,  to  throw  young  men  overboard,  and  let  them 
sink  or  swim.  None  have  yet  drowned  who  were  worth  the 
saving.  I  hope  the  practice  will  be  continued,  and  that  you 
will  not  rely  on  outside  help  for  growth  or  success.  Give 
crutches  to  cripples ;  but  go  you  forth  with  brave  true  hearts, 
knowing  that  fortune  dwells  in  your  brain  and  muscle,  and 
that  labor  is  the  only  human  symbol  of  Omnipotence."* 

The  days  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic   Institute 
were  now  closed.     From  a  small  beginning  the  Institution 

had  grown  in  power  and  influence,  until 

The  Cloie  ^^  commanded  the  respect  of  all  who  had 

of  the  touched  its  horizon,  and  the  admiration 

Eclectic   Institute,    and  assistance  of  many.     It  had  broken 

the  bands  with  which  its  early  nurses  had 
enswathed  it;  it  had  outgrown  the  garments  of  its  child- 
hood ;  it  had  come  to  be  known  as  a  stalwart  and  supple- 
sinewed  representative  of  its  class  among  educational  insti- 
tutions ;  and  by  the  very  force  of  the  conditions  that  sur- 
rounded it,  it  became  necessary  to  enlarge  its  borders,  to 
advance  its  standard,  and  to  seek  to  win  a  place  among 
higher  institutions  of  learning,  and  an  honorable  seat  in  the 
Parliament  of  Colleges. 


♦President  Garfield  and  Education,  pp.  277-313. 


1/^ 


CHAPTER  V. 

Hiram   College — The  Initial  Years  of  the  College. 
1867— 1870. 

Hiram  College  began  its  work  August  13,  1867;  and 

while  the  name  and  rank  of  the  Institution  were  changed 

this   did  not  essentially  change  its  aims  and   spirit.     The 

work  formerly  done  went  on  all  the  same. 

The  Beginning       /^  College  had  simply  been  added  to  an 

„.        „  „  academical  and  preparatory  school.    Act- 

Hiram  College.  f     f  j 

ing  under  the  statute  of  April  8,  1856, 
which  empowers  seminaries  of  learning  incorporated  by  gen- 
eral law  or  special  Act  to  change  their  nam.e  and  become 
colleges,  and  after  such  change  to  confer  the  usual  college 
degrees  the  Board  of  Trustees,  February  20,  1867,  changed 
the  name  of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  and  clothed  it  with  col- 
legiate powers  and  responsibilities.  June  19,  1872,  the 
Board,  in  pursuance  of  the  statute  for  such  cases  made  and 
provided  increased  the  number  of  Trustees  from  twelve, 
the  original  number,  to  twenty-four.  With  these  excep- 
tions the  original  Act  of  Incorporation  has  not  been  changed. 
The  action  of  the  Trustees  by  which  the  Eclectic  Institute 
was  made  a  college  was  endorsed  by  a  convention  of  the 
friends  of  the  Institute  held  in  Hiram,  June  12,  1867. 

The  humble  origin,  the  feeble  beginning,  and  the  un- 
even steps  in  the  progress  of  Hiram  College  are  not  unlike 
those  of  other  colleges.     In  some  respects  Hiram  had  a 


176  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

more    promising    beginning    than    many 

Hiram  and  Others.     A  few  facts  in  regard  to  other 

Other  Colleges.       institutions  of  learning  in  Ohio  will  not 

be  uninteresting  here.  When  "Ohio  Uni- 
versity" opened  its  doors  as  a  college  June  i,  1809,  '"t>ut 
three  students  reported  for  duty,  and  none  of  these  remained 
long  enough  to  graduate."  The  first  Faculty  of  "Miami 
University,"  in  1824,  consisted  of  three  members.  For  fifty 
years  Oberlin  College  "owed  its  life  to  the  sacrifice  and  de- 
votion of  its  founders  and  instructors"  and  its  benefactors 
were  people  of  small  means  who  "periodically  contributed 
small  sums  from  scanty  earnings."  At  the  outset  "the  only 
resources  of  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  were  the  con- 
tributions of  friends,  and  for  some  time  these  were  wholly 
absorbed  by  the  current  expenses  and  other  indebtedness." 
Kenyon  College  was  located  "amid  well-nigh  untrodden  for- 
ests, and  involved  large  outlays  of  labor  and  heavy  sacri- 
fices." Marietta  College  began  as  "the  Institute  of  Educa- 
tion ;"  then  it  appears  as  the  "Marietta  Collegiate  Institute," 
and  "Western  Teachers'  Seminary,"  and  finally  "Marietta 
College."  Its  first  effort  to  raise  funds  for  an  endowment 
was  made  in  1833,  "when  something  more  than  eight  thous- 
and dollars  was  raised  of  which  the  seven  trustees  gave  one 
half."  Western  Reserve  College,  now  Adelbert  College  of 
Western  Reserve  University,  was  opened  for  students  in 
the  fall  of  1826  and  "only  twenty-three  students  were  en- 
rolled in  the  college  during  the  year  i827-'28,  sophomores, 
freshmen,  preparatory  and  special ;  and  the  instructional 
force  consisted  of  one  tutor."  The  financial  difficulties  of 
Antioch  College  which  had  the  distinguished  Horace  Mann 
for  its  first  President,  began  early  in  the  history  of  the  Col- 
lege. Denison  University  began  its  work  in  a  Baptist  meet- 
ing house,  in  Granville,  December  13,  1831.  with  one  teach- 
er; and  "for  thirty-six  years  had  no  productive  endowment, 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,   1867-1870.        177 

and  its  financial  crises  were  many  and  severe."  Mount 
Union  College  was  first  organized  as  a  small  seminary  in 
1846,  with  only  six  students.  It  is  well  for  the  friends  of 
Hiram  College  to  know  these  facts,  for  though  it  has  had 
its  days  of  "gloom  and  thick  darkness,"  other  institutions 
with  which  it  has  been  an  honorable  competitor  have  had 
like  experiences. 

"The  Association  of  Ohio  Colleges"  like  all  valuable 
institutions  is  an  evolution  or  growth.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Ohio  Teachers'  Association  prior  to  1867  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a  plan  of  organiza- 
Hiram  College  ^ion  of  the  colleges  of  the  State;  and  at 
a  Member  a    meeting    of    college    officers    held    at 

of  the  Association  Springfield,  Ohio,  July  2,  1867,  the  com- 
of  Ohio  Colleges.  mJttee  which  had  been  previously  appoint- 
ed  made  a  report  on  organization — which 
was  discussed  and  adopted.  This  report  was  substantially 
the  present  constitution  of  the  Association.  Its  purpose 
was  stated  as  follows :  "The  object  of  this  association  shall 
be  an  interchange  of  opinions  among  those  engaged  in  the 
higher  departments  of  instruction,  and  the  adoption  of  such 
common  rules  as  may  seem  fitted  to  promote  efficient  and 
harmonious  working."  In  1875  a  committee  of  five  was 
appointed  from  Western  Reserve,  Denison,  Ohio  Wesleyan, 
Kenyon  and  Oberlin  colleges  "to  fix  some  standard  to  which 
a  college  must  conform  in  order  to  be  received  into  its  mem- 
bership." This  committee  reported  to  the  meeting  at  Cin- 
cinnati in  1876,  "that  it  is  the  judgment  of  this  committee 
that  colleges  holding  or  claiming  membership  in  the  Asso- 
ciation should  be  able  to  fulfill  three  conditions : 

(i) — There  should  be  the  four  regular  college  classes 
in  full  operation. 

(2) — The  college  course  should  comprise  four  years 
of  college  work  with  fifteen  recitations  per  week. 


I/O  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

(3) — The  minimum  of  requirements  for  admission  to 
the  freshman  class  should  be,  besides  the  common  English 
branches,  from  two  to  three  years  of  Latin  study  with  daily 
recitations,  two  years  of  Greek  with  daily  recitations,  and 
algebra  to  quadratic  equations."  This  report  after  full  dis- 
cussion was  adopted  with  slight  amendments ;  and  a  com- 
mittee of  five  was  constituted  of  representatives  from  West- 
ern Reserve,  Kenyon,  Oberlin,  Antioch  and  Ohio  Wesleyan 
University,  "to  ascertain  what  colleges  come  within  the  con- 
ditions of  the  resolution  adopted  in  1877  upon  the  subject 
of  membership  in  the  Association."  This  committee  re- 
ported at  the  meeting  in  Oberlin  in  1878,  and  named  fifteen 
institutions  in  the  order  of  the  date  of  their  charters,  and 
whose  "right  to  the  title  was,  in  their  judgment,  not  to  be 
questioned."  The  fifteen  institutions  were  as  follows : 
Ohio  University,  1804;  Kenyon,  1824;  Western  Reserve. 
1826;  Denison  University,  1831 ;  Oberlin,  1834;  Marietta, 
1835;  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  1842;  St.  Xavier's,  1842; 
Otterbein,  1847;  Antioch  College,  1852;  Baldwin  Univer- 
sity, 1856;  Hiram  College,  1867;  University  of  Wooster, 
1870;  University  of  Cincinnati,  1870;  Ohio  State  Univer- 
sity, 1870.  This  report  was  adopted,  and  these  institutions 
were  thus  made  to  constitute  the  Association  of  Ohio  Col- 
leges. 

The  aim  of  the  College  was  declared,  in  the  announce- 
ment made  in  1867.  to  be,  "to  furnish  a  course  of  training 
as  thorough  as  any  in  the  country ;  and  while  it  will  bestow 
careful  attention  upon  the  classical  lan- 

The  Aim  guages,  it  will  aim  to  give  a  fuller  course 

°    ,,  than  is  common,  in  those  branches  which 

Hiram  College.  '  .        ,  ,,      t  ,  .    , 

are  modern   and   national.       in  a   high 

degree  this  last  clause  describes  a  distinctive  feature  of  the 
College.  More  than  ordinary  attention  is  paid  to  Histor- 
ical and  Political  studies,  particularly  to  those  that  bear  upon 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OP  THE  COLLEGE,    1867-1870.        1 79 

the  duties  and  rights  of  the  American  citizen.  Hiram  was 
never  intended  to  be  a  school  of  special  training,  and  it  has 
never  been  a  Biblical  or  Theological  Seminary.  The  Bible 
is  used  daily  in  general  service  or  classroom  study,  and 
special  instruction  in  Biblical  studies  has  always  been  fur- 
nished to  those  desiring  it.  The  agencies  employed  are  text- 
book instruction,  chapel  lectures,  and  special  courses  of  lec- 
tures delivered  by  members  of  the  Faculty  or  by  lecturers 
called  in  from  abroad.  It  has  sought  to  prepare  young  men 
for  the  ministry  by  providing  them  with  general  culture  sup- 
plemented by  short  courses  of  lectures  and  special  studies. 
Of  course,  these  students  have  been  taught  the  leading 
tenets  and  peculiarities  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ;  but  all 
attempts  to  exercise  over  the  body  of  the  students  a  peculiar 
denominational  influence  have  been  carefully  avoided. 

The  original  charter  which  has  never  been  changed  in 
this  particular,  defines  the  object  of  the  corporation  to  be, 
"the  instruction  of  youth  of  both  sexes  in  the  various 
branches  of  literature  and  science,  es- 
Co-education  pecially  of  moral  science,  as  based  on  the 
of  the  Sexes.  facts  and  precepts  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures." In  Hiram  the  experiment  of  co- 
education has  been  successful,  though,  as  a  rule,  ladies  have 
generally  chosen  one  of  the  shorter  courses  of  study.  Like 
Oberlin,  Hiram  has  found  the  results  and  lessons  of  its 
experience  in  the  practice  of  co-education  to  be : 

"First,  economy  of  means  and  forces,  a  very  evident 
advantage. 

Second,  convenience  to  the  patrons  of  the  school,  since 
very  many  cases  are  observed  where  brothers  and  sisters 
are  attending  college  together  to  the  advantage  of  both. 

Third,  wholesome  incitements  to  study. 

Fourth,  social  culture,  which  influences  powerfully  the 


I  So  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

manners,  feelings  and  thoughts  of  both  sexes  during  that 
period  when  character  is  being  specially  moulded. 

Fifth,  absence  of  rowdyism,  hazing,  and  many  other 
disorders. 

Sixth,  in  the  relation  of  the  school  to  the  community, 
a  cordial  feeling  of  good  will,  and  the  absence  of  that  antag- 
onism between  town  and  college  which  is  often  met  with." 

Without  doubt,  there  are  disadvantages  connected  with 
the  practice  but  these  are  clearly  outweighed  by  the  advan- 
tages. 

The  first  Faculty  of  Hiram  College  consisted  of  Dr. 
Silas  E.  Shepard,  President,  and  Professor  of  Moral  Sci- 
ence and  Literature,  Logic  and  Rhetoric ;  John  M.  Atwater, 
Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek;  Asa  M. 
The  First  Faculty  Weston,  Professor  of  Mathematics  and 
of  the  College.  Modern  Languages ;  Osmer  C.  Hill,  Pro- 
fessor in  the  Commercial  and  Chirog- 
raphic Department;  Miss  Lottie  M.  Sackett,  Principal  of 
the  Ladies'  Department ;  Miss  Julia  E.  Pardee,  Instructor  in 
Mathematics  ;*  Miss  Tillie  Newcomb,  Teacher  of  Instru- 
mental Music ;  Miss  Emma  L.  Johnson,  Teacher  of  Land- 
scape Painting  and  Drawing ;  Eugene  H.  Plowe,  Teacher  of 
Vocal  Music;  Edgar  A.  Pardee,  Teacher  in  Greek;  Henry 
N.  Mertz,  Teacher  in  Latin ;  and  Grove  E.  Barber,  Teacher 
in  English  Branches.  Thus  equipped  the  new  College  be- 
gan its  work.  Of  those  who  formed  the  first  Faculty  only 
Miss  Johnson,  now  Mrs,  B,  S.  Dean,  is  connected  with  the 
College  at  this  time. 

♦Julia  Eunice  Pardee  was  born  at  Wadsworth,  O.,  December  11» 
1836.  She  taught  school  in  Wadsworth,  O.,  Corry,  Pa.,  and  Hiram. 
She  came  to  Hiram  in  1866  as  teacher  of  Mathematics  and  Philos- 
ophy, and  remained  in  the  Faculty  until  her  marriage  to  Prof.  A.  M, 
Weston,  July  7,  1868.  She  was  a  woman  of  excellent  character  and 
Fuperior  intellect,  and  her  class-room  work  strong  and  impressive. 
She  is  yet  living,  a  grandmother  of  children,  in  her  pleasant  home  at 
New  Castle,  Ind. 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1867-1S70.       iSl 

Dr.  Silas  E.  Shepard  was  the  first  President  of  Hiram 

College.     When  he  entered  on  his  duties  he  was  sixty-six 

years  old.     He  was  a  man  of  strong  physical  constitution, 

large    brain,    remarkably    clear    intellect, 

o     . ,     ,  and  high  moral  sentiments,  a  diligent  stu- 

President.  ^  ,  . 

dent,  a  close  thinker,  and  a  speaker  of 

much  more  than  ordinary  power.  Religiously  his  first  ex- 
periences were  among  the  Congregationalists.  Afterwards 
he  united  with  the  Baptists,  and  early  in  the  history  of  the 
Restoration  of  primitive  Christianity  as  contended  for  by 
Thomas  and  Alexander  Campbell  and  others,  he  became 
identified  with  the  movement  and  gave  to  it  the  strength 
of  his  life.  As  a  preacher  he  was  first  known  in  Pennsyl- 
vania where  he  was  very  successful,  and  the  influence  he  es- 
tablished in  the  early  part  of  his  career,  remained  unbroken 
to  the  last. 

New  York  was  for  many  years  the  field  of  his  labors. 
In  that  state  he  published  a  religious  magazine — "The 
Primitive  Christian" — a  keen  and  sprightly  advocate  of  New 
Testament  Christianity.  For  several  years  he  resided  in  the 
city  of  New  York  where  he  preached,  and  labored  in  the 
rooms  of  the  American  Bible  Union  as  an  assistant  in  the 
work  of  revision,  and  publishing  a  magazine  of  critical  char- 
acter called  "The  Reviser."  He  spent  a  few  years  in  travels 
in  foreign  lands.  When  he  came  into  Ohio  he  was  for 
several  years  preacher  and  teacher  in  Cincinnati  and  Cleve- 
land. His  studious  habits  were  adhered  to  through  his  life, 
so  that  his  mind  was  fresh  and  vigorous  to  the  last. 

Socially  he  was  one  of  the  most  companionable  of  men 
— communicative,  genial,  witty,  yet  never  disposed  to  mon- 
opolize the  conversation  or  to  turn  attention  upon  himself. 
Never  vainly  ambitious  but  always  modest  in  asserting  his 
own  claims,  he  did  not  grow  sour  over  disappointments, 
but  remained  sweet  in  spirit  and  cheerful  to  the  close  of  his 


l82  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

life.  He  was  also  large-hearted,  freely  giving  of  his  means 
for  every  good  work,  and  performing  much  labor  without 
regard  to  compensation.  Of  him  Isaac  Errett  said:  "It  was 
our  privilege  to  know  him  intimately,  and  to  be  often  asso- 
ciated with  him  in  public  duties.  We  are  able  to  say  that 
we  never  shared  his  society  without  being  a  gainer  by  it, 
and  that  from  first  to  last  no  cloud  or  shadow  ever  fell  upon 
our  friendship  to  cast  even  a  moment's  gloom.  We  uni- 
formly found  him  pure,  unselfish,  carefully  considerate  of 
the  rights  of  others,  and  supremely  devoted  to  the  truth. 
His  superior  attainments  gave  him  prominence  over  many 
of  his  co-workers,  yet  we  do  not  believe  that  one  has  ever 
been  found  to  complain  of  arbitrariness,  assumption,  or  fail- 
ure to  recognize  and  honor  the  merits  of  his  brethren." 

D.  P.  Henderson,  another  life-long  friend,  has  left  the 
following  estimate  of  him  on  record :  "He  was  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  and  amiable  of  men.  His  mind  and  heart 
corresponded  in  their  comparative  greatness.  No  envy,  no 
jealousy  occupied  a  place  within  him.  His  mind  was  clear, 
analytical  and  full  of  intellectual  power.  He  was  meek  and 
condescending,  and  childlike  simplicity  characterized  his  in- 
tercourse with  his  fellow-men.  He  was  a  critical  scholar 
in  biblical  literature,  and  one  of  the  most  courteous  Chris- 
tian gentlemen  in  debate.  While  he  was  firm  and  uncom- 
promising in  his  views,  yet  he  awarded  to  his  opponent  the 
same  right  to  think  and  express  his  sentiments  as  he  claimed 
for  himself.  He  was  refined  in  sentiment  and  courteous  to 
all  men." 

Professor  B.  S.  Dean  who  was  a  student  in  Hiram  dur- 
mg  the  Presidency  of  Dr.  Shepard,  and  conducted  the  ser- 
vices at  his  burial  ten  years  later  in  Troy,  Pa.,  speaking 
of  his  standing  and  influence  at  his  home  said:  "I  think 
nowhere  else  was  Dr.  Shepard  so  grandly  himself  as  right 
here  in  Bradford  County,  the  scene  of  his  earliest  advocacy 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1S67-1870,        1S3 

of  Primitive  Christianity,  the  arena  of  his  sternest  conflicts, 
grandest  triumphs  and  most  continuous  service.  For  a 
whole  year  I  heard  him  at  Hiram,  O.,  ten  j^ears  ago,  but 
never  did  I  know  the  might  of  the  man  till  I  heard  him  here 
among  the  people  and  the  churches  to  whom  he  was,  indeed, 
a  father.  Among  the  last  words  that  he  uttered,  he  said  to 
his  daughter,  'I  want  you  to  say  good  bye  to  my  friends  for 
me,  and  tell  them  I  should  like  to  have  seen  them  all.'  His 
was  by  no  means  a  perfect  character.  But  his  very  imper- 
fections were  born  of  those  elements  which  gave  him 
strength  and  made  him  so  grandly  useful.  At  the  age  of 
seventy-six  his  form  was  erect,  his  step  elastic ;  and  of  him 
it  might  almost  be  said,  'His  eye  was  not  dim  nor  his  natural 
force  abated.'  Those  who  got  nearest  his  heart  knew  it  to 
be  young  and  sweet  and  tender,  and  happy  are  all  our  homes 
which  have  been  graced  and  gladdened  by  his  presence." 

Fifty-eight  years  of  his  seventy-six  he  spent  in  preach- 
ing the  gospel.  He  came  to  Hiram  too  late  in  his  life  and 
with  his  habits  too  firmly  fixed  to  make  a  successful  admin- 
istrator of  college  affairs.  His  mind  and  body  had  worked 
too  long  on  transcendent  subjects  for  study,  and  themes  for 
speech  to  be  brought  down  to  the  consideration  of  rules  for 
"the  intercourse  of  the  sexes,"  and  how  to  avoid  the  "clash- 
ing of  classes."  He  remained  only  one  year  in  connection 
with  the  College.  Notwithstanding  it  was  manifest  that  lie 
would  not  be  able  to  guide  the  College  interests  to  a  suc- 
cessful issue  his  resignation  was  accepted  with  great  regret 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  resolutions  to  that  effect 
were  placed  on  record  at  the  close  of  his  service.  Dr.  Silas 
E.  Shepard  was  born  in  New  Berlin,  New  York,  in  the  year 
1801,  and  died  at  Troy,  Pa.,  October  12,  1877,  at  the  age  of 
76  years. 

Asa  M.  Weston  was  born  of  Massachusetts  stock  Sep- 
tember 24,  1836,  in  Cleveland,  O.,  whither  his  father  came 


1S4  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

in  1816,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm  six  miles  cast  via.  St. 
Clair  Street.     He  was  prepared  for  Col- 

^y  ^^^  '  lege  at  Shaw  Academy  in  the  village  of 
Collamer.  Three  years  of  college  life 
was  spent  at  Oberlin,  O.  In  1857  he  finished  his  college 
course  and  was  graduated  from  Antioch  College  in  the 
classical  department,  in  the  first  class  of  that  institution, 
the  famous  educator,  Horace  Mann,  President,  signing  his 
diploma.  The  course  of  study  was  especially  thorough  in 
language,  mathematics,  history,  and  mental,  moral,  govern- 
ment science,  constitution,  the  latter  under  the  personal  tui- 
tion of  Mr.  Mann. 

After  graduation  he  taught  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio. 
For  two  or  three  years  he  was  local  editor  of  the  "Cincin- 
nati Daily  Press,"  a  flourishing  daily  paper.  In  1862  he  en- 
listed as  a  private  (August  11,  1862)  in  the  50th  O.  V.  I. 
Regiment  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  During  his 
army  service  he  had  almost  uninterrupted  good  health,  and 
was  successively  promoted  from  private  to  Corporal,  Ser- 
geant-Major,  and  2nd  Lieutenant,  and  mustered  out  with 
his  Company  June  26,  1865.  For  two  years  he  was  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Schools  and  Principal  of  Jennings  Acad- 
emy at  Vernon,  Ind.  In  1867  he  came  to  Hiram  and  for 
two  years  was  Professor  of  Mathematics  and  ]\Iodern  Lan- 
guages, in  the  Faculties  of  Presidents  Shepard  and  Atwater. 
While  at  Hiram  he  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Pardee, 
Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  Philosophy  in  the  closing  year 
of  the  Eclectic  Institute  and  the  opening  year  of  Hiram  Col- 
lege. After  leaving  Hiram  he  gave  private  school  instruc- 
tion for  two  years.  He  was  then  called  to  the  chair  of 
Greek  and  Modern  Languages  in  Eureka  College,  Eureka, 
111.,  where  he  remained  for  more  than  six  years.  As  teacher 
at  Eureka  he  followed  H.  O.  Newcomb,  an  old  student  at 
Hiram,  and  was  associated  in  the  Bible  Department  with  H. 


COI-LEGK  Y.  M.  C.  A.  AND  Y.  W.  C.  A.  BUILDING:     Erectkd  in  18fl5. 


THK  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,   1867-1S70.      1S5 

W.  Everest  at  one  time  Principal  of  the  Eclectic  Institute. 
Toward  the  close  of  his  work  at  Eureka  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  College  in  which  position  he  served  only  a 
brief  period.  On  leaving  Eureka  his  work  as  College  Pro- 
fessor closed.  For  three  years  he  served  the  Church  at 
Troy,  Pa.,  as  preacher  and  pastor.  For  the  last  twenty 
years  he  has  resided  on  a  farm  in  Henry  County,  Itid., 
preaching  as  occasion  required  at  various  places.  He  is  now 
living  in  New  Castle,  Ind.,  retired  from  work  of  all  kinds. 
After  ceasing  from  College  and  School  work  Mr.  Weston 
turned  his  attention  to  literature  and  produced  several  vol- 
umes of  more  or  less  merit :  "The  Maid  of  Muldraugh's 
Hill,"  an  army  tale  of  thrilling  interest  based  upon  his  own 
army  experiences  in  Kentucky ;  "The  Passing  of  the  Veter- 
ans" in  verse  prepared  for  a  G.  A.  R.  memorial  service ; 
"Clipper  Jap,"  a  story  for  boys  in  six  chapters ;  and  "Van- 
ished," a  longer  story.  In  1886  he  .published  "The  Evolu- 
tion of  a  Shadow"  or  "The  Bible  doctrine  of  rest  from  the 
standpoint  of  a  believer  in  the  divine  authority  and  para- 
mount importance  of  the  religious  observance  of  the  first 
day  of  the  week."  This  was  his  most  pretentious  work  and 
reveals  the  high  literary  culture  of  the  author,  the  strength 
of  his  thought,  the  keenness  of  his  perceptions,  and  the 
power  of  his  faith.  Mr.  Weston's  instincts  are  all  in  the 
direction  of  accurate  scholarship.  As  a  child  and  as  a 
young  student  he  was  quick  to  learn  and  easy  to  communi- 
cate ;  so  that  when  his  college  course  was  ended  and  he  en- 
tered the  classroom  as  a  teacher  he  was  thoroughly  prepared, 
and  popular  with  his  students.  As  a  preacher  he  was  strong 
as  a  teacher  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  if  not  eloquent  he 
was  impressive  in  his  utterances.  He  was  in  Hiram  when 
salaries  were  ridiculously  small, and  when  the  Institution  was 
"farmed  out"  to  the  President  and  the  receipts  divided 
among   the    workmen.     His   has   been    an   honorable   and 


l86  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Christian  life  and  when  he  finally  rests  from  his  labors  his 
works  will  follow  him, 

Aliss  Lottie  M.  Sackett,  the  Principal  of  the  Ladies' 

Department,  brought  into  her  position  the  fruit  of  a  long 

experience  as  a  teacher,  the  strength  of  a 

Miss  . 

T    -•    AT   c    1    .*     cultured  mind,  and  the  influence  of  a  srood 
Lottie  M.  backett.  '^ 

reputation  and  a  sterling  Christian  charac- 
ter. She  remained  one  year.  She  is  yet  living  at  Warren, 
O.,  honored  and  beloved  by  all. 

Osmer  C.  Hill  remained  a  member  of 
the  College  Faculty  as  Professor  in  the 
Osmer  c.  Hill.       Commercial  and  Chirographical  Depart- 
ment until   1876,  when  he  closed  his  re- 
lation to  the  College. 

The  course  of  study  for  the  first  year 
of  the  College  was  prepared  by  a  commit- 
tee consisting  of  John  M.  Atwater,  J.  IT. 
Course  of  Study.     Rhodes  and  Alvah  LMall.     This  course 
remained   for  several  years  substantially 
as  it  came  from  the  hands  of  the  commit- 
tee. 
Some  changes  in  the  business  methods  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  were  made,  and  rules  adopted  which  have  been 
very  strictly  adhered  to  ever  since.    At  the  first  meeting  of 
the  Board  in  the  College  year  a  Coramit- 
Business  Methods,    tee  on  Finance  was  appointed  v/hose  bu.=i- 
ness  was  to  "take  charge  of  all  funds  for 
endowment  and  invest  the  same  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  Board."     On  the  adopting  of  this  rule  it  was  also  de- 
clared that  "this  Board  hereby  promises  the  brotherhood 
that  no  part  of  the  principal  of  such  funds  shall  be  used; 
but  shall  be  kept  sacred  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was 
donated." 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,  1S67-187O.      187 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Garfield  it  was  Resolved,  That  the 
President  of  this  College  shall  present    to  the  Board  of 
Trustees    at    each    annual    meeting    a    report    in    writing, 
setting  forth  the  number  of  students  in 
attendance  during  the  year ;  the  names  of 
Annual  Report  of     all  persons  employed  as  teachers  ;  the  work 
the  President         done  by  each,  and  any  facts  showing  the 
,    ^".j  general  condition  of  the  Institution.    The 

Treasurer  shall  make  as  a  part  of  his  re- 
port a  full  statement  of  the  receipts  and 
expenditures  of  all  money  arising  from  tuition." 

The  first  Standing  Committee  on  Finance  was  consti- 
tuted of  C.  B.  Lockwood,  A.  Teachout  and  Harmon  Austin. 
Mr.    Teachout   and   Mr.    Lockwood   are 

^        .  yet  living  and  members   of  the  present 

Committee.  j  &  r 

Board  of  Trustees.  The  Board  has  never 
had  any  abler  or  more  faithful  representatives. 

A  convention  of  the  friends  of  the  Institution  met  in 
Hiram  June  12,  1867,  the  closing  day  of  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute, and  recommended  to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Biblical  Department  with 
_.,,.,„  an  appropriate  course  of  study  for  Hiram 

Biblical    Course.  i  f      r  j 

College.  The  Board  took  immediate  ac- 
tion to  carry  out  the  recommendation  of  the  convention,  and 
on  motion  of  Mr.  B.  A.  Hinsdale  the  following  resolutions 
were  adopted :  "Resolved,  That  we  cordially  approve  of  the 
recommendation  of  the  Convention  of  June  12th  in  favor 
of  establishing  a  Biblical  Department,  and  the  Board  will 
appeal  to  the  Christian  Brotherhood  to  contribute  fifty 
thousand  dollars  to  the  perpetual  endowment  of  that  De- 
partment, wherein  lectures  and  other  instruction  shall  be 
gratuitously  furnished  to  all  who  are  preparing  for  the 
Christian  ministry;  and  that  we,  also,  approve  the  recom- 
mendation of  said  convention  that  the  brethren  be  asked  to 


l8S  HISTORY    OP    HIRAM    COLLEGE, 

endow  one  chair  in  the  Literary  Department  of  the  College." 
It  was  also  declared  as  the  sense  of  the  Board  that  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  College  "should  also  be  a  Lecturer  and  Profes- 
sor in  the  Biblical  Department."  The  Biblical  Department 
modified  as  modifications  have  been  found  necessary,  is  one 
of  the  permanent  features  of  Pliram  College. 

In  changing  the  school  in  name  and  in  some  respects 
in  character  certain  legal  questions  must  necessarily  be  in- 
volved.     In    1868    a    committee    of   the 
'^^^  Board  of  Trustees  consisting  of  Alvah 

l^T^^'T'        Udall,  J.  A.  Garfield,  and  D.  W.  Canfield, 
of  the  College.  '  •'     .  ' 

was  appomted  to  consider  all  legal  ques- 
tions arising  out  of  changing  the  school  into  a  college.  The 
committee  after  careful  examination  reported  that  "the  pro- 
ceedings had  been  regular  and  legal." 

As  the  College  interests  began  to  multiply  and  its  re- 
sponsibilities, financial  and  other,  increased,  the  Board  of 
Trustees  decided  to  have  a  searching  investigation  made 
into  its  legal  history.     Therefore  in  1874 
rpj^g  a  committee  consisting  of  B.  A.  Hinsdale, 

Legal  History  of  then  President  of  the  College,  Alvah 
Hiram  College.  LMall,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, and  Dr.  A.  J.  Squire,  Secretary  of 
the  Board,  was  appointed  to  prepare  the  legal  history  of  the 
College,  with  authority  to  employ  such  legal  counsel  and 
assistance  as  they  might  need.  This  committee  reported  at 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  held  in  Hiram  June  17, 
1874.  Though  the  report  is  quite  long  yet  it  is  of  permanent 
value,  and  will  be  inserted  here.  To  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  Hiram  College :  At  a  meeting  held  in  Cleveland,  Janu- 
ary 28,  1874,  you  adopted  the  following  resolution : 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three,  consisting  of  B. 
A.  Hinsdale,  Alvah  Udall,  and  A.  J.  Squire  be  and  are  here- 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1867-187O.      189 

by  appointed,  to  examine  and  look  up  the  records  of  Hiram 
College,  and  ascertain  and  determine,  if 
Authoritr  possible,  whether  the  whole  business  as 

of  the  Committee  shown  by  said  records  was  done  in  a 
of  Examination.  proper  and  legal  manner.  The  committee 
shall  also  ascertain  the  amount  of  capital 
stock  of  the  College,  what  amount  has  been  subscribed  and 
what  amount  paid.  Said  committee  is  authorized  to  employ 
legal  counsel,  if  necessary,  if  the  records  are  faulty  or  defi- 
cient, the  committee  shall  report  such  deficiencies,  and  all 
other  matters  pertaining  to  the  subject,  to  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees at  the  regular  meeting  in  June,  1874." 

The  committee  created  by  this  resolution  respectfully 

reports,  that  it  has  sought  thoroughly  and  conscientiously 

to  perform  the  duties  defined,  and  that  the  following  are  the 

results  of  its  inquiries :  The  legal  history  of  Hiram  College 

began  with  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  in- 

The  Results         corporating  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic 

„       .    ,.  Institute,  dated  March  i,  iSso.     By  its 

Examination.  '_  »        ^  / 

first  section  said  Act  created  twelve  per- 
sons named,  together  with  such  others  as  might  be  associa- 
ted with  them,  a  body  corporate  and  politic,  and  invested 
them  with  the  power  of  perpetual  succession.  It  also  pro- 
vided that  the  capital  stock  of  the  corporation  should  not 
exceed  fifty  thousand  dollars  ($50,000),  and  that  said  stock 
should  be  divided  into  shares  of  twenty-five  dollars  ($25) 
each,  to  be  used  for  no  other  purposes  than  in  the  instruc- 
tion of  youth  of  both  sexes  in  the  various  branches  of  Lit- 
erature and  Science,  and  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Section 
second  declared  that  the  corporation  should  be  capable  of 
acquiring  and  holding  property,  real  and  personal,  and  of 
disposing  of  the  same,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Institution,  in 
all   ways   incident   to   similar   corporations.     Section   third 


190  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

provided  that  the  corporate  concerns  of  said  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute should  be  managed  by  a  Board  of  Trustees,  of  not  less 
than  nine  nor  more  than  twelve,  of  whom  five  should  be  a 
quorum  to  do  business,  and  one  of  whom  should  be  elected 
President.  Said  section  further  invested  this  Board  of  Trus- 
tees with  all  the  powers  for  the  establishment  and  manage- 
m.ent  of  the  Institution,  specifying  all  the  leading  powers 
in  terms.  Section  fourth  of  said  Act  provided  that  all  in- 
struments of  writing  required  to  carry  into  effect  any 
contract  made  by  the  Board,  should  be  executed 
by  the  President  thereof,  and  be  sealed  by  the  cor- 
porate seal.  Section  fifth  provided  that  the  corporators 
named  in  the  first  section,  or  such  of  them  as  chose  to  act, 
should  manage  the  affairs  of  the  Institution  until  subscrip- 
tions to  the  stock  amounting  to  seven  thousand  ($7,000) 
dollars  had  been  made,  at  which  time  a  meeting  of  the  stock- 
holders should  be  called  to  elect  Trustees.  It  provided  that 
one-third  of  said  Board  of  Trustees  should  be  elected  for 
one  year,  one-third  for  two  years,  and  one-third  for  three 
years,  and  that  thereafter  there  should  be  annual  elections. 
It  further  provided  that  each  stockholder  should  be  entitled 
at  each  election  to  one  vote,  in  person  or  in  proxy,  for  every 
share  of  stock  owned  by  him,  with  the  proviso  that  no  stock- 
holder should  have  more  than  four  votes  for  one  hundred 
dollars  ($100),  six  votes  for  two  hundred  dollars  ($200), 
seven  votes  for  three  hundred  dollars  ($300),  and  eight 
votes  for  four  hundred  dollars  ($400)  or  more.  Section 
sixth  regulated  the  annual  meetings  to  elect  Trustees,  and 
provided  for  failures  to  elect.  Section  seventh  empowered 
the  Board  to  make  By-Laws  for  the  management  of  the  In- 
stitution, and  to  prescribe  the  mode  of  transferring  the 
stock. 

Previous  to  the  passing  of  this  Act.  the  corporation 
had  been  acting  as  a  provisional  Board  of  Trustees,  having 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    I067-1S70.       191 

been  chosen  for  that  purpose  by  a  convention  of  the  churches 
in  Northern  Ohio.  They  continued  so  to  act  until  October 
14,  1 85 1,  when  it  appeared  that  seven  thousand  dollars 
($7,000)  of  stock  had  been  obtained.  At  a  meeting  held 
on  said  day  the  President  was  instructed  to  issue  a  notice 
to  the  stockholders  to  meet  in  Hiram  the  24th  of  the  follov/- 
ing  November,  to  elect  a  Board  of  Trustees  as  contemplated 
by  the  charter.  Said  notice  was  duly  issued,  and  twelve 
Trustees  were  elected  on  the  day  appointed.  From  that  time 
there  has  been  an  annual  election  of  the  requisite  number 
of  Trustees,  as  prescribed  by  the  Charter. 

The  next  step  in  this  legal  history  is  the  action  of  the 
Board  by  which  the  Institution  took  the  name  and  rank  of 
a  College.  This  action  rests  upon  an  Act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture which  took  effect  April  8,  1856,  empowering  semi- 
naries of  learning  incorporated  by  general  law  or  special  Act 
to  change  their  name  and  become  colleges,  and  after  such 
a  change  to  confer  the  usual  collegiate  degrees.  The  second 
section  of  this  Act,  which  prescribes  the  manner  of  the 
change,  is  as  follows:  'Every  seminary  availing  itself  of 
the  power  herein  given  shall,  in  making  such  change,  enter 
a  resolution  with  full  minutes  of  their  action  upon  the  regu- 
lar records  of  the  seminary,  affixing  thereto  its  common 
seal ;  and  before  the  taking  effect  of  such  resolution,  it  shall 
be  accurately  transcribed  and  with  the  accompanying  min- 
utes and  the  common  seal  affixed,  shall  be  filed  in  the  office 
of  the  Recorder  of  the  proper  county  and  recorded  by  that 
officer ;  and  also  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State 
to  be  recorded  by  said  Secretary ;  and  any  copy  of  such  file 
or  record  duly  certified  by  the  County  Recorder  or  Secretary 
of  State,  as  the  case  may  be,  shall  be  evidence  in  the  courts 
of  the  State.'  The  Board  of  Trustees  acted  under  this  stat- 
ute on  two  different  occasions.     The  official  record  filed  in 


192  HISTORY    OF    IIIKA.M    COLLEGE. 

the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  is  as  follows :  'The  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  met 
at  Hiram  November  9,  1858,  at  half  past  two  o'clock  p.  m., 
pursuant  to  a  call  of  the  President.  (Members  present), 
Alvah  Udall  (in  the  chair),  Wm.  Hayden,  Aaron  Davis, 
Frederick  Williams,  Zeb  Rudolph,  Wm.  Richards,  Alvah 
Humiston,  and  W.  J.  Ford.  In  the  absence  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Board,  W.  J.  Ford  was  elected  Secretary  pro  tern. 
Sessions  of  the  Board  opened  by  prayer  by  Wm.  Hayden. 
Minutes  of  the  last  meeting  read  by  the  President.  After 
hearing  reports  of  committees,  etc.,  the  meeting  was  ad- 
journed till  tomorrow  morning,  (Nov.  10). 

Nov.  10,  1858.  Board  met  pursuant  to  adjournment, 
and  was  called  to  order  by  the  President.  Frederick  Wil- 
liams offered  the  following  resolutions,  viz. :  'Whereas, 
The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  In- 
stitute, (a  seminary  of  learning)  believing  that  it  is  desir- 
able and  for  the  interest  of  said  Institute  to  reorganize  un- 
der the  provisions  of  'an  Act  to  authorize  seminaries  of 
learning  to  change  their  names  and  become  colleges,'  passed 
April  8,  1856,— 

( 1 )  Therefore  Resolved,  That  the  name  of  said  Insti- 
tute be  and  the  same  is  hereby  changed  to  Hiram  College. 

(2)  Resolved,  That  under  the  provisions  of  said  Act, 
the  said  Institute  by  the  name  aforesaid,  as  aforesaid,  be 
and  the  same  is  hereby  ordered  to  be  organized  as  a  college 
with  full  collegiate  power  and  privileges,  to  confer  upon 
the  graduates  of  said  college  the  usual  degrees  granted  by 
colleges,  etc. 

(3)  Resolved,  That  said  Board  of  Trustees  be  in- 
structed to  take,  at  such  time  as  the  Board  may  order  all  the 
necessary  steps  to  carry  into  effect  these  resolutions.' 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Williams,  seconded  by  Mr.  Hayden, 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1S67-1S70.        I93 

the  foregoing  resolutions  were  adopted  by  the  following 
vote,  viz. :  Affirmative,  F.  Williams,  Wm.  Hayden,  A.  Da- 
vis, Z.  Rudolph,  Wm.  Richards,  A.  Humiston,  A.  Udall,  W. 
J.  Ford. — 8.     Negative — None. 

Alvah  Udall,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
W.  J.  Ford,  Secretary,  Pro.  Tem. 
Hiram,  February  20,  1867.  The  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  met  pursuant  to  call 
of  the  President.  (Present)  A.  S.  Hayden,  W.  J.  Ford,  J. 
H.  Rhodes,  Z.  Rudolph,  H.  Ryder,  and  A.  Udall,  President 
of  the  Board.  Meeting  opened  by  prayer  by  A.  S.  Hayden. 
On  motion  of  Mr.  Ford  the  following  resolution  was  passed 
unanimously :  That  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  be  instructed, 
and  is  hereby  authorized  to  take  all  the  steps  necessary  to 
carry  into  effect  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Board,  in  a 
meeting  held  November  10,  1858,  making  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute a  College,  and  that  the  name  of  the  college  shall  be, 
'Hiram  College,'  and  so  entered  on  the  county  and  State 

^^^o^'^s-  ALVAH  UDALL, 

(seal.)  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

A.  J.  SQUIRE, 
5  Cent  Internal  Secretary. 

Revenue  Stamp. 

I  certify  the  foregoing  to  be  a  true  copy  transcribed 
from  the  regular  records  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic 
Institute  this  sixth  day  of  July,  A.  D.,  1867. 

A.  J.  SQUIRE, 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
Secretary  of  State's  Office. 
United  States  of  America,  Ohio 

I,  William  Henry  Smith,  Secretary  of  State  of  the 
State  of  Ohio,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  is  a  true 


194  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

copy  of  the  certificate  of  change  of  name  of  the  Western 
Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  to  Hiram  College  filed  in  this 
office  July  13th,  A.  D.,  1867. 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  subscribed  my 
name  and  affixed  the  great  Seal  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  at 
Columbus,  the  13th  day  of  July,  A.  D.,  1867. 

(SEAL.)  WM.  H£NRY  SMITH, 

Secretary  of  State. 
5  Cent  Internal  Revenue  Stamp. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  held  June  12,  1867,  the 
President  of  the  Board,  General  Garfield,  and  D.  W.  Can- 
field,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  consider  all  legal  ques- 
tions arising  out  of  changing  the  school  into  a  college,  and 
so  to  arrange  the  language  of  transfer  as  to  guard  all  prop- 
erty rights  of  the  Institution.  (See  Secretary's  Book,  page 
24.)  At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Board  held  January  i, 
1868,  this  committee  submitted  the  results  of  its  inquiries: 
"Your  committee  appointed  at  the  annual  meeting  held  June, 
1867,  to  consider  all  legal  questions  arising  out  of  changing 
the  school  into  a  college,  etc.,  beg  leave  to  report,  that  they 
have  examined  and  considered  all  such  questions,  and  find 
that  all  the  proceedings  have  been  regular  and  legal,  and 
therefore  do  not  in  the  least  degree  prejudice  the  property 
rights  of  the  Institution.  Alvah   Udall, 

D.  W.  Canfield. 

Before  dismissing  this  point,  your  committee  would  fur- 
ther represent  that  the  legality  of  the  proceedings  by  wrhich 
the  Eclectic  Institute  was  changed  to  Hiram  College  has 
been  tested  by  a  suit  that  passed  through  both  the  Probate 
and  Common  Pleas  Courts  of  Trumbull  County,  and  that 
no  flaw  was  found. 

Your  committee  next  inquired  into  the  proceedings  by 
which  the  number  of  Trustees  of  the  College  was  increased 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,   1867-1S70,        195 

from  twelve  to  twenty-four.  This  action  rests  on  a  Gen- 
eral Statute  that  passed  and  took  effect  April  13,  1865. 
The  first  section  of  said  Statute  runs  as  follows :  "That  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  any  College  or  University  now  exist- 
ing by  virtue  of  any  Act  of  Incorporation,  or  which  may 
hereafter  become  incorporated,  are  hereby  authorized  to 
increase  the  number  of  Trustees  provided  for  in  such  Act 
of  Incorporation  to  any  number  not  greater  than  tv/enty- 
four.  (See  Swan  and  Sayler's  Supplement  to  the  Revised 
Statutes  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  p.  106.)" 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1872,  the  Board  adopted  the  fol- 
lowing resolution :  "Resolved,  That  in  pursuance  of  law  for 
such  cases  made  and  provided,  the  number  of  Trustees  of 
Hiram  College  be  increased  to  twenty-four,  and  that  at  the 
next  election  of  College  Trustees,  and  at  each  and  every  such 
annual  election  held  thereafter,  there  be  elected  a  number 
sufficient  with  those  remaining  in  office,  to  make  twenty- 
four  ;  electing  at  the  first  sixteen,  eight  for  three  years,  four 
for  two  years,  four  for  one  year,  and  thereafter  to  fill  va- 
cancies."    (See  Secretary's  Book,  p.  66.) 

In  pursuance  of  this  action,  on  the  20th  of  June,  1872, 
the  stockholders  elected  sixteen  Trustees,  and  on  the  19th 
of  June,  1873,  they  elected  eight. 

On  the  nth  of  January,  1873,  ^^^^  Legislature  passed 
an  Act  repealing  the  Act  of  April  13,  1865,  and  providing: 
"That  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  any  College  or  University 
now  existing  by  virtue  of  any  Act  of  Incorporation  or  law, 
or  which  may  hereafter  become  incorporated  under  the  Laws 
of  the  State  of  Ohio,  are  hereby  authorized  to  increase  the 
number  of  Trustees  provided  for  in  such  Act  of  Incor- 
poration or  law,  to  any  number  not  greater  than  twenty- 
four.  The  provisions  of  this  Act  shall  also  apply  to  all 
academies,  seminaries,  and  Institutes  not  originally  incor- 


196  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

porated  as  colleges  or  universities,  but  which  have  since  be- 
come such  under  the  laws  of  this  State."  (See  General  and 
Local  Laws,  Vol.  LXX,  p.  4).  There  is,  perhaps,  room  for 
doubt  whether  the  action  by  which  the  number  of  Trustees 
was  increased  was  strictly  legal.  This  action  was  taken  be- 
fore the  Act  of  1873  was  passed,  and  the  question  is, 
whether  the  Act  of  1865  applied  to  a  college  that  had  been 
originally  chartered  as  a  Seminary  or  Institute.  More 
specifically,  the  question  is,  whether,  in  1872  within  the 
meaning  of  the  Statute,  Hiram  College  was  a  college  "by 
virtue  of  an  Act  of  Incorporation."  The  question  is  re- 
spectfully submitted  to  the  legal  talent  of  the  Board. 

The  inquiries  of  the  committee  concerning  the  capital 
stock  of  the  College,  have  led  to  the  following  results : — 

"First.     The  charter  of  1850  placed 

^     .    .  1     ,         the   minimum    stock    at   seven   thousand 
Capital  Stock. 

dollars   ($7,000)  ;  the  maximum  at  ntty 

thousand  ($50,000). 

Second,  It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  amount  of 
stock  subscriptions.  The  original  subscription  books  or 
papers  have  been  lost,  and  it  does  not  appear  that  any  per- 
manent record  of  these  was  made. 

Third,  The  amount  of  stock  that  has  been  paid  for, 
according  to  the  books  of  the  Treasurer,  is  673  shares,  or 
sixteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars 
($16,825). 

Fourth,  The  amount  for  which  certificates  have  been 
issued  is  452  shares,  or  eleven  thousand  and  three  hundred 
dollars  ($11,300);  leaving  two  hundred  and  twenty-one 
shares,  or  five  thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty-five  dol- 
lars ($5,525)  for  which  no  certificates  have  been  issued. 
The  reason  why  these  certificates  have  not  been  issued  is, 
they  have  not  been  called  for. 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1867-1S70.        I97 

Fifth,  At  the  annual  meeting  in  1872  the  Board 
adopted  a  resolution  authorizing  the  President  to  issue  new 
stock  in  the  name  of  the  College  in  place  of  the  old  stock, 
appointing  the  President,  Hartwell  Ryder,  and  L.  Cooley 
a  committee  to  furnish  certificates  to  the  owners  of  stock 
who  have  not  received  them,  and  empowering  Mr.  Cooley 
to  sell  one  thousand  (1,000)  shares  of  the  new  stock.  (See 
Secretary's  book,  p.  68.)  Your  committee  has  not  learned 
that  anything  more  has  been  done  under  this  resolution 
than  to  issue  a  few  College  stock  certificates  in  place  of  the 
Eclectic  institute  certificates.  The  committee  further  states 
that  it  has  prepared  a  tabular  statement  of  stock  showing 
the  nam.es  of  the  original  owners,  their  residences,  the  num- 
ber of  shares  owned,  and  whether  certificates  have  or  have 
not  been  issued.     (See  Secretary's  2nd  book,  page  107.) 

Your  committee  further  represents  that  it  has  carefully 
examined  the  records  of  Board  meetings  from  the  year  1849 
to  the  present,  and  that  it  has  found  said  records,  for  the 
most  part,  kept  in  a  full,  clear,  and  methodical  manner.  It 
was  discovered  that  the  Secretary's  book  did  not  contain 
the  record  of  one  annual  meeting,  but,  fortunately  the  orig- 
inal minutes  were  found,  and  the  omission  in  the  record 
has  been  supplied.  The  committee  would  recommend  a 
little  more  care  in  the  future  in  recording  reports  of  com- 
mittees, and  a  little  more  pains  in  the  wording  of  motions 
and  resolutions,  also  more  care  in  the  kind  of  ink  used  by 
the  Secretary.  Especial  attention  is  called  to  this  last  point, 
because,  owing  to  the  use  of  poor  ink  used  by  the  Secre- 
tary, some  of  the  records  must  soon  be  transcribed.  But 
while  the  committee  calls  attention  to  these  minor  points, 
it  is  happy  in  being  able  to  state  that  the  records  are  in  such 
excellent  condition  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in  tracing  the 
history  of  the  Board  from  the  beginning ;  and  it  cannot  see 


I9S  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

that  any  question  affecting  the  institution  can  arise  out  of 
any  imperfections  in  the  work  of  either  the  former  or  the 
present  Secretaries.  Your  committee  has  noticed  in  look- 
ing through  the  minutes  that  there  has  been  more  or  less 
irregularities  in  organizing  the  Board  and  respectfully 
recommends  that  some  rule  be  adopted  and  followed  in  the 
future.     All  of  which  is.»respectfully  submitted. 

B.  A.  Hinsdale, 
Alvah  Udall, 
A.  J.  Squire, 

Committee." 
On     the    resignation    of    President 
Shepard  the  Board  of  Trustees  took  im- 

^  *  mediate  steps  to  provide  a  President  and 

Second  Facultj  of      _        ,        r         ,       >-  „  ,  ,.    , 

the  College.         Faculty  for  the  College,  but  some  little 

time  elapsed  before  it  was  accomplished. 
In  the  meantime  Prof.  A.  M.  Weston  was  authorized  to  act 
as  correspondent  for  the  college. 

The  Board  met  June  11,  1868,  and  after  considerable 
discussion  it  was  "Resolved,  That  J.  M.  Atwater  be  elected 

President  of  Hiram  College  and  that  a 
T  M  Atwater        committee  De  appointed  who  shall  in  con- 
Elected   President    junction  with  him,  be  authorized  to  make 
of  the  College.       ^n  arrangements  for  the  organization  of 

a  Board  of  Teachers."  The  committee 
ordered  was  composed  of  J.  H.  Rhodes,  Alvah  Udall,  and 
Hartwell  Ryder.  A  Board  of  Teachers  was  finally  formed 
consisting  of  John  M.  Atwater,  President,  and  Professor 
of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy,  and  Biblical  Literature ; 
Asa  M.  Weston,  Professor  of  Mathematics,  and  Modern 
Languages ;  Amzi  Atwater,  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek ; 
Andrew    J.    Squire,    Professor    of    Chemistry,    Anatomy, 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,   1867-1S70.        I99 

Physiology,  Hygiene,  and  Physical  Culture ;  and  Miss  Cor- 
tentia  C.  Munson,  Principal  of  the  Ladies  Department. 

Amzi  Atwater  was  born  in  Mantua,  O.,  November  9, 
1839.  He  came  to  Hiram  as  a  student  in  the  fall  of  1853 
and  his  student  life  continued  with  some  irregularity  until 

i860.     Between    these    years    he    taught 
Amzi  Atwater.       school  at   North  Royalton,   O.,  in   1858 

and  Braceville,  O.,  in  1859.  In  i860  he 
located  at  Bruceville,  Ind.,  where  he  taught  four  terms.  In 
1862  he  entered  the  North  Western  Christian  University 
(now  Butler),  where  he  remained  until  1865,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  "Hundred  Days  Service"  in  the  U.  S.  Army 
in  1864.  In  1865  he  entered  the  State  University  at  Bloom- 
ington,  and  also  preached  for  the  Christian  Church  at  that 
place.  In  the  University  he  was  chosen  Principal  of  the 
Preparatory  Department  and  Adjunct  Professor  of  Lan- 
guages, which  place  he  held  until  June,  1868.  In  1866  he 
graduated  from  the  University,  receiving  the  degree  of  A. 
B.  In  1868  and  1869  he  was  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek 
in  Pliram  College,  and  during  this  time  preached  for  the 
church  at  Ravenna,  O.  In  1869  and  1870  he  preached  for 
the  church  at  Mantua,  O.  In  1869  he  received  the  degree 
of  A.  M.  from  the  Indiana  State  University,  and  in  1870 
was  elected  Professor  of  Latin  in  tliat  institution.  August 
8,  1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Cortentia  Munson.  an 
associate  of  his  in  the  Faculty  of  Iliram  College.  From 
1870  to  1893  he  was  Professor  of  Latin  in  Indiana  State 
University.  His  entire  service  in  the  University  covered  a 
period  of  26  years.  From  1893  to  the  present  his  time  has 
been  devoted  mostly  to  preaching;  at  Franklin.  Ind.,  from 
1893  to  1895 ;  Sullivan,  Illinois,  from  1896  to  1897 ;  and  at 
Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  while  his  son  Munson  D.  Atwater 
studied  at  Yale  University.     In  1898  and  1899  he  preached 


aOO  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

at  the  church  at  Mantua  Station,  O.  In  1882  he  visited 
Europe  and  made  a  partial  tour  of  the  continent.  He  is 
now  living  at  Bloomington,  Ind.,  and  Financial  Secretary 
for  the  endowment  of  the  Bible  Chairs  at  Butler  Colleg^e, 
Irvington,  Ind. 

Cortentia  Munson,  daughter  of  Edward  Spencer  and 
Sophia  Cowee  Munson,  was  born  Sept.  29th,  1838,  in  Men- 
tor, Ohio.     After  the  usual  round  in  the  public  schools  she 

attended  at  Hiram  two  terms — 1856-7, 
Cortentia  Munson.    under  the  presidency  of  A.   S.   Hayden. 

Afterward  she  taught  several  terms  in 
Mentor  and  vicinity,  and  in  the  public  schools  of  Paines- 
ville,  Ohio,  in  1860-61.  As  her  only  brother  now  enlisted 
in  the  army  she  spent  the  next  four  years  at  home  with  her 
parents,  and  was  actively  engaged  with  the  Mentor  Aid 
Society  in  preparing  and  sending  supplies  to  the  soldiers 
in  the  field  and  hospitals.  Early  in  1865  she  entered  Lake 
Erie  Seminary  at  Painesville  and  graduated  with  the  class 
of  1867.  Soon  after  she  went  with  her  brother  to  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.  Returning  to  Ohio  the  following  year  she  was 
chosen  Lady  Principal  of  the  College  at  Hiram  September, 
1868,  under  the  presidency  of  J.  M.  Atwater,  Amzi  Atwater 
being  at  the  time  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek.  Miss 
Munson  continued  to  teach  in  Hiram  till  December,  1869, 
when,  on  account  of  the  dangerous  illness  of  her  mother, 
her  presence  was  required  at  home.  Cortentia  Munson  and 
Amzi  Atwater  were  married  Aug.  8th,  1870.  Blooming- 
ton,  Ind.,  the  seat  of  the  State  University  in  which  Amzi 
Atwater  was  a  professor  for  26  years,  has  been  the  family 
residence  ever  since.  Two  children  were  born,  Munson 
Darwin  and  Eva  Sophia,  the  latter  dying  at  two  years  of 
age  in  1877.  Munson  graduated  at  Indiana  University  in 
1894,   taught  three  years  in  Rayen   School,  Youngstown, 


K.     v.     /Cl;I.I,AK.S 
I>l<.    S.    K.    SllKl-AKl 


COLLEGE   HKESIDENTS. 

G.  II.  Laughlin  j.  M.  Atw.mi.k 

H.    A.     lllNsliAI.K 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE   COLLEGE,    1S67-1870.        20I 

Ohio,  Studied  two  summers  in  Chicago  University,  and 
spent  two  years  in  post-graduate  work  in  Yale  University. 
Besides  these  some  changes  were  made  in  the  assistant 
teachers  and  Magnus  Buchholz,  teacher  of  German ;  James 
M.  Hurlbut,  teacher  in  Enghsh  Branches ;  Adeha  L.  Chf- 
ford,  teacher  of  Instrumental  Music ;  and  Miss  Statira  New- 
comb,  teacher  of  Portrait  and  Landscape  Painting  and 
Drawing,  were  the  new  teachers  employed.  The  condition 
of  the  affairs  of  the  College  during  the  year  was  evidently 
not  very  satisfactory  either  to  the  President  and  his  Faculty, 
or  to  the  Board  of  Trustees.  It  was  found  that  there  was 
an  indebtedness  near  the  close  of  the  year  for  current  ex- 
penses of  $1,691.97.  A  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
was  called  for  May  13,  1869.  President  Atwater  made  a 
statement  of  the  condition  of  the  school,  after  which  W.  J. 
Ford  moved  "That  Hiram  College  be  transferred  to  Dr. 
Silas  E.  Shepard  for  one  year  on  condition  that  he  hire 
teachers,  keep  up  both  the  Literary  and  Theological  Depart- 
ments, and  receive  the  tuition  and  annual  interest  of  the 
endowment  fund  of  the  College  for  his  compensation." 
The  Board  appears  to  have  been  divided  as  to  the  name  to 
be  inserted  in  the  resolution,  and  Mr.  Atwater's  name  was 
proposed  in  place  of  Dr.  Shepard.  It  was  finally  agreed 
that  Trustees  Ford  and  Teachout  should  confer  with  Dr. 
Shepard,  and  Trustees  Lockwood  and  Rhodes  with  Presi- 
dent Atwater,  and  "ascertain  if  they  would  take  the  College 
for  the  tuition  and  the  interest  on  the  endowment  fund  for 
one  year  as  per  resolution  specified."  Later  on  the  same 
day  these  committees  reported  the  results  of  their  confer- 
ences. Each  had  received  an  affirmative  answer,  and  either 
of  the  gentlemen  "would  take  the  College  on  the  terms  pro- 
posed." The  Board  then  proceeded  to  fill  by  ballot  the  blank 
in  the  resolution  for  President,  which  was  filled  by  a  vote 


303  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

of  7  for  Mr.  Atwater  and  3  for  Dr.  Shepard,  and  the  fol- 
lowing   resolution    was    adopted : — "Re- 
Contract  with       solz'cd,  That  the  Board  of  Trustees  here- 
J.  M.  Atwater       by  authorize  J.  M.  Atwater  to  take  charge 
for  Second  Year.      of   the   College   during   the  next   college 
year,  beginning  with  the  June  Commence- 
ment of  1869,  as  its  President  on  the  following  conditions, 
to  wit : 

( I  )  Said  President  shall  employ  and  pay  all  teachers 
and  Professors ;  shall  pay  incidental  expenses ;  and  shall 
provide  instruction  in  the  Literary,  Biblical  and  Prepara- 
tory Departments  of  the  College  sufficient  to  keep  up  the 
present  standard  of  excellence. 

(2)  That  as  compensation  for  said  service  he  shall 
receive  all  receipts  for  tuition  during  the  said  year,  to  be 
collected  by  him  in  accordance  with  the  established  rates ; 
one  year's  interest  on  all  funds,  notes,  and  subscriptions  now 
in  possession  of  the  College ;  and  one  year's  interest  on  all 
funds  which  may  come  into  possession  of  the  College  by 
solicitation  or  otherwise  during  the  college  year,  said  inter- 
est to  be  collected  by  said  President  under  the  direction  of 
the  Board ;  Provided,  that  this  resolution  shall  not  deprive 
the  Board  of  its  full  amount  of  general  supervision  of  the 
management  and  accounts  of  the  College." 

Under  this  arrangement  Mr.  Atwater  served  his  second 
year  as  President  of  the  College.  This  arrangement  while, 
perhaps,  the  best  that  could  be  made  at  the  time,  was  not 
satisfactory  to  either  party.  President  Atwater  was  con- 
tinually oppressed  by  the  financial  condition  of  the  institu- 
tion, making  it  impossible  for  him  to  meet  satisfactorily  the 
obligations  he  had  assumed.  Besides,  it  appeared  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  and  many  friends  of  the  College  that 
Mr.  Atwater's  administration  was  not  up  to  the  standard 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1867-187O.        2O3 

of  a  College  administration.  All  recognized  the  difficulties 
incident  to  the  change  of  rank  of  the  institution.  There 
were  great  obstacles  in  the  way  of  changing  academic 
methods  to  those  which  should  characterize  a  college.  The 
man  had  not  yet  been  found  who  was  able  to  add  to  the 
name  of  the  College  the  dignity  and  influence  which  a 
college  ought  to  possess.  Mr.  Atwater  in  the  class  room 
was  a  teacher  of  superior  ability;  before  the  world  he  bore 
an  exalted  character;  and  in  earnestness  of  purpose  and  in 
the  conscientious  discharge  of  every  duty,  as  he  saw  it,  he 
was  without  a  flaw.  But  he  could  not,  with  his  limitations, 
create  of  the  School  anything  superior  to  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute of  which  he  had  been  the  successful  Principal. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  realized  the  situation  as  difficult 
and  even  critical.  A  change  of  some  kind  was  demanded 
and  must  be  made.  Accordingly,  on  May  7,  1870,  at  a 
specially  called  meeting  of  the  Board  at  which  were  present 
Alvah  Udall,  J.  H.  Rhodes,  A.  Teachout,  James  A  Garfield, 
J.  F.  Whitney,  Hartwell  Ryder,  C.  B.  Lockwood,  and  Har- 
mon Austin,  the  following  resolution  by  Mr.  Lockwood  was 
adopted : — "Resolved,  That  we  deem  it  expedient  to  employ 
President  J.  M.  Atwater  and  Professor  B.  A.  Hinsdale  to 
organize  and  employ  a  Faculty  to  take  charge  of  the  College 
the  ensuing  year  in  accordance  with  their  proposition  to  take 
the  same  for  two  thousand  ($2,000)  dollars  and  tuition 
receipts,  provided  at  our  next  meeting  it  appears  that  the 
funds  can  be  raised." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  held  June  9,  1870, 
the  contract  was  concluded  with  J.  M.  Atwater  and  B.  A. 
Hinsdale  on  the  following  terms : — "That  they  organize 
and  pay  a  competent  Faculty,  and  pay  all  incidental  ex- 
penses, on  the  condition  that  the  Board  guarantees  to  them 
the  tuition   receipts   and   fifteen    hundred   dollars   for   such 


204  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

service ;  and  also  guarantee  to  them  one  year's  interest  on 
all  endowment  fund  they  may  raise  during  the  year." 
Alvah  Udall,  A.  J.  Squire,  and  Hartwell  Ryder  were  made 
an  Advisory  Committee  of  the  Board  in  the  organization 
of  the  Faculty.  It  was  also  "Resolved},  That  in  this  ar- 
rangement J.  JM.  Atwater  be  President,  and  B.  A.  Hinsdale, 
Vice  President,  and  that  each  he  endozvcd  ivith  equal  and 
coextensive  authority  in  the  management  of  the  College." 

At  the  same  meeting  the  Board  passed  the  following 
resolution  in  favor  of  Mr,  W.  J.  Ford,  who  had  made  a 
report  as  Solicitor  of  the  Western  Re- 
Thanks  to  serve  Eclectic  Institute  and  Hiram  Col- 
W.  J.  Ford  lege.  A  committee  had  examined  his 
as  Solicitor.  report  of  work  and  results  and  recom- 
mended the  resolution.  "Resolved,  That 
W.  J.  Ford  has  served  with  fidelity  and  unusual  success  the 
Eclectic  Institute  and  Hiram  College,  and  is  entitled  to  the 
gratitude  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  the  Stockholders,  and 
all  friends  of  the  College  for  the  industry,  perseverence, 
and  ability  with  which  for  a  period  of  twelve  years  he  has 
performed  the  duties  of  Solicitor  for  the  Western  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute  and  Hiram  College." 

The  double-headed  arrangement  by  which  J.  M. 
Atwater  and  B.  A.  Hinsdale  were  "endowed  with  equal 
and  co-extensive  authority  in  the  management  of  the  Col- 
lege"' was  of  short  life.  July  I,  1870,  the  Board  of  Trustees 
met  at  the  call  of  President  Udall,  and  received  the  resigna- 
tion of  President  Atwater,  which  was  immediately  accepted. 
It  was  then  "Resolved,  That  B.  A.  Hinsdale  be  elected  per- 
manent President  of  Hiram  College."  The  vote  was  taken 
by  ayes  and  nays,  and  resulted  in  a  unanimous  choice,  the 
following  Trustees  being  present  and  voting: — James  A. 
Garfield,  Harmon  Austin,  Hartwell  Ryder,  John  F.  Whit- 
ney, Alvah  Udall,  and  C.  B.  Lockwood. 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1867-1S70.        JO5 

Mr.  Hinsdale  was  notified  of  his  election  and  appeared 
before   the   Board   and   announced   his   acceptance   of   the 

position  in  an  appropriate  speech.    At  the 

Lathrop  Cooler  as    same   meeting   the   committee   appointed 

Financial  Agent,      previously  to   secure   a   Financial   Agent 

for  the  College  "was  authorized  and 
directed  to  employ  Elder  Lathrop  Cooley  to  sell  scholarships 
at  one  hundred  dollars  each  for  a  period  not  to  exceed  eight 
years ;  and  that  he  be  authorized  to  solicit  other  amounts 
according  to  such  methods  as  said  committee  may  direct ; 
provided  that  not  more  than  twenty  per  cent  shall  be  paid 
for  the  whole  cost  of  any  such  solicitations  and  collections." 
Thus  began  Mr.  Cooley's  work  for  the  College  which  has  ex- 
tended with  more  or  less  continuity  of  service,  over  many 
years,  even  down  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Cooley  made  a 
very  efficient  and  successful  Financial  Agent  for  the  Col- 
lege. Until  1880  his  name  was  published  annually  in  the 
catalogue  as  Financial  Agent. 

While  the  administration  of  President  Atwater  had  not 
been  as  successful  as  many  had  hoped  that  it  might  be,  it 

had  developed  some  facts  which  have  been 

Close  of  found  essential  to  the  perpetuity,  strength, 

J.  M.  Atwater's  ,  1        r    .1        /-   ,,  r^  , 

Administration.  ^"^  ^^^^^^^^  ^^  the  College.  For  three 
years  it  had  been  uncertain  whether  this 
one  or  that  one  would  remain  beyond  a  year  at  the  head  of 
the  Institution.  Everything  was  uncertain  and  temporary. 
No  one  had  encouragement  to  do  his  best  or  could  do  his 
best.  But  the  Board  determined  that  the  Financial  Agent 
should  have  such  a  tenure  of  office  that  he  could  put  into 
execution  plans  for  raising  funds  which  would  require  years 
to  mature.  It  was  also  determined  that  the  Presidency 
should  not  be  subject  to  an  annual  change;  and  so  they 
elected  Mr.  Hinsdale  "permanent  President  of  Hiram  Col- 
lege." 


2O0  IIISTOIIY    OF    HIllAM    COLLEGE. 

A  foundation  was  laid  for  an  "Endowment  Fund"  dur- 
ing this  period.     Air.  Ford  liad  succeeded  in  getting  numer- 
ous small  sums  in  various  quarters,  and  one  large  sum  from 
Mr.  Robert  Kerr,  of  Marion,  O.    July  29,  1867,  Mr,  Kerr 
signed  a  contract  to  give  "fifty  thousand 
An   Endov/ment      dollars  to  endow  a  Chair  in  Hiram  Col- 
Fund,  lege."     This  amount  was  somewhat  re- 
duced  before   it  was  finally   paid,  by  a 
compromise  with  the  Board  of  Trustees ;  but  a  sufficient 
sum  was  realized  from  it  to  establish  the  "Kerr  Chair  of 
Natural  Science"  now  and  for  many  years  occupied  by  Pro- 
fessor George  H.  Colton.     Small  sums  were  also  realized 
from  bequests  that  had  been  made  to  the  College.    The  en- 
dowment  of   Hiram    College   has   been   a   matter   of    slow 
growth  from  this  small  beginning  to  its  present  creditable 
proportions. 

When  the  institution  opened  as  a  College  in  1857  some 
changes  in  the  Literary  Societies  were  made.     The  Hes- 
perian and  Olive  Branch  Societies  joined 
The  in  a  petition  to  the  Faculty  for  a  union 

Literarj  Societies,  society,  giving  their  reasons  why  such  a 
society  would  be  beneficial.  The  name  of 
Sutton  E.  Young  heads  the  Hesperian  list,  and  the  name  of 
Alice  Robinson  the  Olive  Branch  list.  After  careful  con- 
sideration the  Faculty  unanimously  decided  not  to  grant 
the  petition. 

On  March  18,  1868,  the  Faculty  considered  a  request 
by  A.  A.  Amidon,  and  G.  E.  Barber,  representing  the 
College  students,  for  the  organization  of  a  distinct  College 
society.  The  Faculty  was  a  unit  in  favor  of  "distinct  Col- 
lege and  preparatory  societies,"  and  gave  good  reasons  why 
such  a  society  should  be  established  in  the  College.  The 
name  Alpha  Delta  was  finally  agreed  to  and  the  sentiment 


THE  INITIAL  YEARS  OF  THE  COLLEGE,    1S67-1870.       207 

"Let  mind  rule"  adopted  as  a  motto.  In  1870,  February  17, 
the  society  was  chartered  and  M.  P.  Hayden,  T.  A.  Snow, 
and  E.  M,  Wilson  were  chosen  trustees.  The  society  was 
strong  and  vigorous  from  the  beginning.  May  16,  1871,  a 
contract  was  made  between  the  society  and  the  Board  of 
Trustees  "transferring  the  College  library  to  the  society." 
This  society  admitted  ladies  who  were  College  students  to 
membership  under  certain  restrictions.  August  21,  1873, 
the  Faculty  "after  much  observation  and  reflection,  reached 
the  conclusion  that  there  should  be  two,  and  only  two  gen- 
tlemen's societies  in  the  College,"  and  proposed  that  the 
Alpha  Delta  should  "close  up  its  business,  dispose  of  its 
property,  and  adjourn  sine  die,  leaving  the  ground  to  the 
two  old  societies."  The  society  considered  the  advice  of 
the  Faculty  and  August  22,  1873,  proceeded  to  "take  steps 
towards  closing  up  its  business,"  and  when  the  proper  ad- 
justment had  been  made  and  the  property  of  the  society 
properly  distributed,  the  society  was  closed.  It  had  had  an 
honorable  life  but  the  College  conditions  would  not  justify 
its  continuance  and  it  left  the  field  to  the  old  societies. 

The  life  and  spirit  as  well  as  the  method  of  the  "Old 

Eclectic"  could  not  die  at  once.     It  lived  on  after  the  form 

of  the  Eclectic  Institute  had  passed  away, 

'^^^  and  was  plainly  discernable  in  the  initial 

Life  and  Spirit  r   tt-  r-   n  -T^t.      £  i 

.    ,  years  01  Hiram  College,      ihe  free  ana 

Eclectic  Institute  unconventional  character  of  the  Eclectic 
in  the  College.  did  not  die  instantly  with  the  change  of 
name,  and  rank.  It  was  desirable  to  pre- 
serve its  spirit  and  at  the  same  time  to  adjust  it  to  the  new 
forces  of  education  that  were  beginning  to  display  them- 
selves, and  to  conform  it  to  the  requirements  that  its  new 
name  implied.  During  its  first  three  years  the  College  kept 
close  to  the  habits  of  the  old  school.    Its  first  Presidents  did 


2oS  HISTORY    OF    HIKAM    COLLEGE. 

all  they  could  under  the  conditions  that  prevailed,  but  a 
change  was  needed  and  a  change  was  made,  and  a  new  ad- 
triinistration  provided. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Hiram    College — B.    A.    Hinsdale's    Administration. 
1870-1882. 

July  I,  1870,  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  by  resolution  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  was  elected  "permanent  President  of  Hiram 
College."     Before  this  time  the  idea  of  permanence  of  ad- 
ministration does  not  appear  to  have  been 
B.  A.  Hinsdale  the    before  the  Trustees  in  the  selection  of  a 
Third  President.      President,    and   an    annual    election   had 
been    an    almost    established    rule.     The 
financial  condition  of  the  Institution  had  made  it  impossible 
to  secure  and  retain  a  President  who  had  already  won  a 
place  in  the  world  of  letters  and  as  an  administrator  of 
College  interests. 

While  literature  and  science  were  to  have  a  proper 
place  in  its  Course  of  Study,  the  special  purpose  of  the 
Eclectic  Institute  was  to  be  by  cliarter  stipulation  "instruc- 
tion in  moral  science  as  based  on  the  facts  and  precepts  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures ;"  and  this  was  the  distinguishing 
feature  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  to  its  close.  But  with  the 
change  of  name  from  Institute  to  College,  and  change  of 
rank  from  an  academy  of  high  degree  to  an  institution  with 
college  promises  and  college  ambitions,  other  changes  be- 
came necessary.  If  it  was  to  be  a  College  it  must 
have  a  college  character,  a  college  position,  a  college  cur- 
riculum, and  a  college  dignity.  To  attain  to  this  distinction, 
it  will  not  seem  strange  to  those  who  give  the  matter  intelli- 
gent thought,  that  for  a  time,  at  least,  the  distinctly  theolo- 


2IO  HISTORY    OP    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

gical  or  Biblical  character  of  the  school  should  take  a  sec- 
ondary place  and  the  secular  and  classical  be  exalted  to  the 
first :  and  so,  while  morals,  religion  and  Bible  study  were 

by  no  means  forgotten  or  ignored,  the 
Q  \p  great  work  of  the  President  during  the 

administration  now  being  considered  was 
to  bring  the  Institution  into  the  fulness  of  a  College,  and 
gain  for  it  a  recognition  in  the  educational  world. 

When  Mr.  Hinsdale  entered  upon  his  work  as  Presi- 
dent of  Hiram  College  he  was  without  experience  in  the 
administration  of  college  affairs.  He  had  been  a  member 
of  the  Faculty  during  the  last  year  of  President  Atwater's 
administration,  and  previously  had  served  a  year  as  Profes- 
sor in  Alliance  College  under  President  Errett;  he  had 
taught  country  schools  and  conducted  select  schools  in 
country  places ;  but  he  had  never  been  entrusted  before  with 
the  heavy  responsibilities  of  a  College  President. 

He  brought,  however,  to  his  position  a  knowledge  of 
Hiram  second  to  none.     He  entered  the  Eclectic  Institute 

in  1853  ^s  a  student  and  as  a  student  and 

Some  of  teacher  he  had  spent  in  Hiram  a  large 
Mr.  Hinsdale's  ,  f    J^        •    ^  •  tt 

„.        ^    .  ^.  number   of   the   intervenmg   years.      He 
Characteriatics.  ^  .  . 

was  well  acquainted  with  the  habits,  the 
surroundings,  the  financial  condition,  and  the  influences  that 
had  controlled  the  school  from  the  beginning.  He  was 
thirty-three  years  of  age  and  possessed  a  strong  physical 
body  which  was  capable  of  hard  work  and  long  endurance. 
He  had  a  sensitive  conscience,  and  truth  and  faithfulness 
were  the  girdle  of  his  reins.  He  had  been  an  unwearied 
searcher  after  knowledge  from  his  youth  and  the  reasons 
for  things  he  demanded  at  every  step  of  his  progress.  While 
he  was  a  man  of  faith  yet  in  large  degree,  his  faith  rested 
on  facts  which  he,  by  investigation,  had  been  able  to  dis- 
cover.   His  mind  was  of  a  logical  cast,  clear,  distinct,  and 


B.    A.    HIXSDALE's  ADMINISTRATION,    1S70-1SS2.  211 

decisive,  and  his  findings  were  stated  with  the  authority  of 
a  judge  whose  judgments  will  not  allow  dispute.  All  sub- 
jects that  concerned  men  were  interesting  to  him,  some  of 
more  interest  than  others,  and  a  few  of  transcendent  impor- 
tance ;  but  in  their  consideration  he  took  the  "pedagogical 
view"  rather  than  that  of  the  declaimer,  the  orator  or  the 
rhetorician.  He  was  a  tireless  searcher  for  the  foundations, 
the  sources  of  things,  and  he  never  attempted  to  build  the 
superstructure  until  he  felt  sure  that  the  foundation  was 
solid.  In  a  word,  he  had  the  genius  and  instincts  of  an 
educator.  There  are  minds  to  which  environment  gives  a 
set  from  which  they  never  turn : — there  are  others  whose 
reaction  is  more  powerful  than  any  direct  forces  that  play 
upon  them.  The  environments  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  had 
a  strong  influence  over  Mr.  Hinsdale  but  with  his  cast  of 
mind  and  temperament  they  could  not  absorb  him.  Hence 
the  changes  he  inaugurated  in  the  management,  the  disci- 
pline, the  curriculum,  and  the  special  culture  for  which  he 
believed  the  college  should  stand.  For  twelve  years,  "some- 
times in  gloom  and  thick  darkness,"  he  strove  to  reach  the 
ifleal  which  was  before  him  when  he  accepted  the  President's 
chair.  No  one  acquainted  with  the  financial  condition  of  the 
College  when  Mr.  Hinsdale  became  President,  and  onward 
in  his  administration,  will  ever  accuse  him  as  one  controlletl 
by  a  mercenary  spirit.  He  cared  but  little  for  money,  but 
his  soul  was  wedded  to  an  ideal  of  education  which  in  every 
possible  way  he  determined  to  realize  both  as  a  personal 
possession  and  as  a  "garment  of  praise"  for  the  college  over 
which  he  presided. 

*His  recent  death,  in  the  midst  of  his  mature  years  and 
usefulness,  will  give  an  added  interest  to  the  following 
biographical  sketch  of  his  life  and  work. 


*At  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Nov.  29,  1900. 


HISTORY    OF    HIIIA.M    COLLEGE. 


Burke  Aaron  Hinsdale  was  born  in  Wadsworth,  Ohio, 

March  31,  1837.     His  father,  Albert  Hinsdale,  was  born  in 

Torrington,   Connecticut,  July   18,    1809; 

Biographical         j^jg  mother,   Clarinda  Elvira   Eyles,   was 

'  "■   .„.     ,  ,      born  in  Ohio  July  12,  181 S-     Both  of  his 
President  Hinsdale  j      j         '  ^       ^ 

parents  were  of  good  New  England  stock. 

He  grew  to  young  manhood  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Wadsworth.  His  home  training  was  all  that  a  Christian 
father  and  mother  could  give  him.  His  school  privileges 
until  he  came  to  Hiram  were  no  better  than  those  afforded 
to  other  young  men  of  his  locality,  in  the  old-fashioned  dis- 
trict-school. Physically  he  inherited  a  sound  body  without 
grace  or  comeliness,  but  of  good  fiber  and  capable  of  endur- 
ing immense  strain.  His  mother  "was  possessed  of  good 
judgment,  very  ready  to  make  up  her  mind,  which  was  not 
easily  turned,  and  very  apt  to  carry  out  her  purposes."  From 
her  he  inherited  that  imperious  will  that  was  one  of  his 
distinctly  marked  characteristics. 

He  was  naturally  of  a  studious  temperament  and  usually 
preferred  to  read  and  study  than  to  play  in  the  intervals 
between  the  work  in  the  fields  and  the  time  for  rest  and 
sleep  at  night.  It  was  a  rare  thing  in  his  boyhood  to  see 
him  without  a  book  in  his  hands  during  these  intervals. 
His  favorite  books  were  history,  and  those  bearing  on  the 
philosophy  of  mind.  The  strongest  faculties  of  his  mind 
were  the  perceptive,  the  reflective,  and  the  logical.  It  has 
been  said  of  the  scholars  of  Greece  in  Alexandrian  times 
that  "they  were  not  creative,  but  rather  reflective.  They 
did  not  produce  great  masterpieces  of  poetry  or  art,  nor  did 
they  devise  new  systems  of  philosophy.  They  were  scholars 
and  critics  rather  than  original  makers.  They  were  students 
and  codifiers.  They  gathered  together  the  wisdom  of  tlieir 
forefathers.     This    thev    transmitted    to    posterity."     This 


B.   A.   HINSDALE'S  ADMINISTRATION-,    1870-1882.         213 

describes  very  accurately  the  character  of  the  product  of 
Mr.  Hinsdale's  mind.  Plis  perceptions  were  so  keen  and 
vivid  that  he  saw  clearly  what  was  dimly  seen  or  altogether 
unseen  by  others.  His  powers  of  reflection  enabled  him  to 
bring  forth  lessons  of  great  value  from  hitherto  undiscov- 
ered places.  And  his  strong  logical  faculty  enabled  him  to 
raise  from  these  discoveries  a  building  not  only  massive  but 
often  beautiful.  He  came  to  Hiram  on  November  21,  1853, 
and  entered  as  a  student  on  that  day.  Describing  that  com- 
ing himself,  he  says : — "I  was  a  big  boy,  awkward  and  un- 
cultured enough,  with  the  smell  of  the  furrow  upon  my 
garments ;  but  I  knew  a  thing  or  two,  and  my  mind  had 
opened  enough  to  appreciate  what  I  heard  to  the  full."  Until 
1 86 1,  for  the  most  of  the  time,  he  was  a  student  in  the 
Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  leaving  Hiram  to  work 
on  the  farm  or  teach  a  district  school  at  irregular  intervals. 
In  1S61  he  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  assistant  teachers  in 
the  Eclectic  Institute ;  in  1862  his  name  appears  as  a  full- 
fiedged  teacher  in  the  English  Department.  This  position 
he  held  until  1864.  From  this  date  he  does  not  appear 
again  in  Hiram  circles  until  he  appears  as  Professor  of  His- 
tory, English  Literature,  and  Political  Science,  in  1869- 1870, 
the  last  year  of  President  Atwater's  administration.  During 
that  year  he  was  elected  President  of  Hiram  College,  which 
position  he  held  for  twelve  successive  years.  Between  the 
years  1864  and  1869  he  devoted  himself  mainly  to  preach- 
ing. He  began  to  preach  in  1862.  He  united  with  the 
Church  of  Christ,  in  Hiram,  in  the  winter  of  i853-'54  under 
the  preaching  of  A.  S.  Hayden,  then  Principal  of  the  Eclectic 
Institute.  He  preached  quite  regularly  for  churches  during 
the  years  1862- 1868,  remaining  longest  with  the  Disciple 
churches  at  Solon,  O.,  and  Franklin  Avenue  Church  in 
Cleveland,  and  Hiram.     lie  never  entirely  left  the  pulpit. 


214  HISTORY    OF    }IIRAM    COLLEGE. 

though  from  the  time  he  entered  Iliram  as  President  until 
the  close  of  his  Hfe,  witli  the  exception  of  Hiram,  he  had 
no  regular  appointments.  Mr,  Hinsdale  was  not  a  popular 
preacher.  His  style  of  delivery  and  the  minuteness  of  his 
analysis  of  a  Biblical  theme  were  not  attractive  to  the  most 
of  people.  His  sermons  were  always  strong  and  filled  with 
robust  thought,  and  many  heard  him  gladly  and  with  great 
profit,  but  it  cannot  be  said  of  him  as  was  said  of  his  Master, 
"the  common  people  heard  him  gladly."  His  social  faculties 
were  not  as  strongly  marked  as  his  intellectual,  and  yet  to 
many  he  revealed  a  strong  sympathy  and  a  tender  heart. 
To  those  whom  he  accepted  as  his  friends  he  revealed  him- 
self with  the  cordiality  of  a  great  heart  and  in  truest  friend- 
ship. In  his  family  he  was  a  loving  son  and  brother,  hus- 
band and  father.  In  June,  1877,  in  his  address  to  the 
graduating  class  at  Hiram  he  related  an  incident  in  his  life 
which  no  one  can  read  without  moist  eyes  and  which  re- 
vealed the  tenderness  of  his  love.    He  said : — 

"Not  many  months  ago  I  hugged  a  tree.  Pardon  the 
egotism  that  recites  how  it  was. 

"It  was  night,  and  I  was  approaching  the  old  home.  I 
was  hurrying  to  one  whose  bedside  I  shall  never  approach 
again  until  I  lie  beside  her  in  the  churchyard.  Turning  into 
the  woods  on  the  left,  and  eagerly  pushing  onward  by  an 
old  path,  I  found  myself  in  a  large  open  field.  A  flock  of 
quails  rising  out  of  the  rank  clover  flew  away  into  the  dark- 
ness. Passing  by  a  tree  over  whose  roots  I  had  often  tossed 
the  plow  in  my  boyhood,  I  went  up  to  it,  put  my  arms 
around  it,  and  hugged  it  with  genuine  friendship.  I  looked 
down  upon  the  ground ;  I  looked  up  to  the  stars ;  I  turned 
my  ear  to  the  silent  farm-house  to  catch,  perhaps,  the  sound 
of  human  voice,  or  even  of  baying  dog  or  lowing  herd ;  and. 
as  there  rushed  across  my  mind  the  flood  of  thronging 
memories,  the  fountains  of  feeling  were  broken  up  and 
welled  forth  in  tears." 

It  is  quite  possible  that  there  is  room  for  a  difference  of 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1S70-1S83.       215 

judgment  among  those  who  were  brought  into  contact  with 
Mr.  Hinsdale  in  their  estimate  of  him  as  a  preacher,  of  his 
social  qualities,  and  his  religious  influence ;  but  there  can  be 
no  dispute  as  to  his  eminence  as  an  educator.  This  became 
at  last  the  chosen  field  for  his  intellectual  enginery  and  the 
field  whereon  he  fairly  won  a  place  among  the  very  best. 
To  so  great  a  height  did  he  rise  in  this  field  that  it  may 
rightfully  be  claimed  for  him  that  but  few  were  his  equals 
and  none  his  superiors  among  American  educators.  What- 
ever limitations  there  were  in  other  departments  of  his  life, 
in  this  department  there  seemed  to  be  no  limitations,  save 
those  of  time  and  opportunity.  His  career  as  an  educator 
began  when  he  became  President  of  Hiram  College.  The 
manner  in  which  he  handled  the  educational  interests  of  the 
College  brought  him  into  prominence  among  the  teachers, 
and  friends  of  higher  education  in  Ohio,  and  he  was  called 
on  far  and  near  for  addresses  to  Councils  of  teachers, 
Associations  of  educators,  and  Associations  of  preachers 
before  whom  he  stood  in  the  exalted  character  of  a 
pedagogue.  During  this  period  he  was  a  large  contrib- 
utor to  the  volume  of  religious  literature.  He  wrote  largely 
for  the  Christian  Standard  of  which  Isaac  Errett  was  ed- 
itor, and  for  the  Christian  Quarterly  conducted  by  Wm.  T. 
Moore.  He  never  ceased  to  be  a  valuable  contributor  to  the 
religious  journals  published  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ, 
though  in  his  later  years  he  confined  his  literary  contribu- 
tions to  the  Christian  Evangelist,  and  these  contributions 
were  mostly  of  a  pedagogical  character.  He  was  a  pamph- 
leteer of  unusual  fecundity.  A  large  part  of  his  public  ad- 
dresses biographical,  historical  or  literary  were  issued  in 
this  form,  and  he  was  prodigal  in  his  distribution  of  them 
among  his  appreciative  friends. 

His  earliest  books  were  on  religious  subjects.     His  first 


ai6  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

book  on  "The  Genuineness  and  Authenticity  of  the  Gospels" 
was  pubhshed  in  1872.  This  was  followed  in  1878  by  "The 
Jewish  Christian  Church,"  and  in  1879  by  "Ecclesiastical 
Tradition."  In  1880  he  prepared  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Gar- 
field and  the  Republican  National  Committee,  "The  Repub- 
lican Text  Book  for  the  Campaign  of  1880."  In  1881  he 
published  the  Hiram  College  Memorial,  "President  Garfield 
and  Education."  In  1882  he  edited  very  satisfactorily  "The 
Works  of  James  Abram  Garfield."  Other  books  published 
by  him  after  he  left  Hiram  are  "History  and  Civil  Govern- 
ment of  Ohio;"  "The  American  Government;"  "Schools 
and  Studies;"  "Training  for  Citizenship  and  Suggestions 
for  the  Teaching  of  Civics;"  "The  Old  Northwest"  in 
1888 ;  "Jesus  as  a  Teacher ;"  "How  to  Study  and  Teach  His- 
tory ;"  "Teaching  the  Language  Arts ;"  "Studies  in  Educa- 
tion;" "Horace  Mann  and  the  Common  School  Revival  in 
the  United  States ;"  and  "The  Art  of  Study"  in  1900  his  lat- 
est volume.  He  was  also  preparing  an  elaborate  History  of 
the  University  of  Michigan  for  the  great  series  of  college 
histories  called  "Universities  and  Their  Sons"  which  was 
not  completed  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

On  leaving  Hiram  College  he  was  elected  Superintend- 
ent of  Public  Schools  in  Cleveland.  O.,  which  position  he 
held  from  1882  to  1886.  In  1888  he  was  elected  to  the 
Chair  of  the  Science  and  Art  of  Teaching  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan  which  place  he  held  to  the  close  of  his  life. 
He  was  a  member  in  high  repute  of  educational  associations 
both  State  and  National,  and  served  as  President  of  many 
of  them. 

He  received  numerous  literary  degrees  from  colleges 
and  universities  though  in  the  regular  course  he  was  not 
the  graduate  of  any.  Bethany  and  Williams  Colleges  con- 
ferred on  him  the  Degree  of  A.  M., ;  Ohio  State  University 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1S70-1S82.       217 

the  Degree  of  Ph.  D. ;  Ohio  University  and  Hiram  College 
conferred  on  him  the  Degree  of  LL.  D.  One  of  the  last 
acts  of  the  Trustees  of  Hiram  College  in  recognition  of  his 
high  standing  and  worthy  life  was  at  its  June  session  in 
1900  to  confer  this  degree,  only  conferred  on  two  or  three 
others  in  its  entire  history,  as  a  College ;  and  one  of  the  last 
addresses  of  Mr.  Hinsdale  before  his  work  was  done  was  to 
recall  the  memories  of  the  Eclectic  Institute  which  gave  him 
an  impulse  and  helped  him  to  reach  the  height  on  which  he 
had  long  stood  a  worthy  man,  a  good  citizen,  and  an  ac- 
complished scholar  and  distinguished  teacher  of  his  fellow- 
men.  No  one  who  heard  his  address  at  Hiram  June  22, 
1900,  will  ever  forget  it.  As  he  spoke  of  the  comrades  of 
the  early  Hiram  fellowship  who  had  recently  crossed  to  the 
"other  side,"  his  voice  had  a  tenderness  of  tone  that  re- 
vealed his  heart,  and  his  words  a  pathos  that  lingers  like  a 
benediction  from  a  loving  father  who  is  about  to  depart  on 
a  journey  from  whence  he  will  not  return.  How  beautiful 
are  these  words  descriptive  of  Hiram  scenery:  "Seeing  is 
believing;  and  with  all  the  changes  that  time  has  wrought, 
the  landscape  is  still  the  same.  The  woodlands  have  become 
fewer  and  smaller  in  area,  while  the  fields  have  expanded ; 
but  then,  as  now,  verdure  clothed  the  hills  and  the  valleys  in 
the  spring  time,  while  the  chestnuts  yellowed,  the  oaks  and 
ashes  browned,  the  sassafras  and  the  pepperidges  reddened, 
and  the  maples  burst  into  scarlet  and  gold,  as  they  have  done 
in  the  autumn  for  fifty  succeeding  years.  The  whippoorwill 
sang  in  the  woodside  at  evening  then  as  he  sings  now." 
Others  have  done  much  to  make  Pliram  v/hat  it  is  today  and 
without  their  help  it  could  not  have  been,  and  it  would  not 
be  what  it  is;  but  take  the  Institution  as  it  was  in  1870,  it 
is  not  to  the  disparagement  of  any  others  to  say  that  Hiram 
College  owes  more  to  B.  A.  Hinsdale  for  its  high  rank  as 


2l8  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

an  Educational  Institution  than  to  any  other  man.  To  this 
end  he  bent  his  life  and  he  succeeded ;  and  the  history  of 
Hiram  will  never  get  old  or  mean,  so  long  as  the  impulses 
which  he  generated  in  her  behalf,  and  the  machinery  of 
which  he  was  a  controlling  force,  remain.  His  death  No- 
vember 29,  1900,  was  a  shock  to  all  of  his  friends  and  co- 
laborers  in  church  and  school,  not  many  of  whom  had  even 
heard  of  his  sickness. 

The  first  Faculty  that  President  Hins- 

President  "^'^^^  gathered   about   him   was   a   strong 

Hinsdale's  first       One.     Isaac   N.  Demmon  was  Professor 

Faculty.  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  Languages  and 

Literatures.     He  is  now  a  distinguished 

Professor  in  the  University  of  jMichigan  at  Ann  Arbor. 

Isaac  Newton  Demmon  was  born  in  Northfield,  Sum- 
mit County,  O.,  August  19,  1842.     He  was  the  oldest  of  a 
family    of    nine    children.     His     father, 
Isaac  N.  Leonard  Demmon,  was  a  native  of  Mas- 

sachusetts. In  1884  the  family  removed 
to  Noble  County,  Indiana,  and  settled  near  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Kendallville. 

Isaac  acquired  the  rudiments  of  education  at  home, 
learning  to  read,  write,  and  cipher  before  there  was  any 
school  opened  within  his  reach.  When  he  was  seven  years 
old  a  district  school  was  established  near  his  home  which 
he  attended.  At  the  age  of  eleven  he  was  sent  to  a  "select 
school"  at  Kendallville.  For  several  years  he  attended  this 
village  school,  and  for  several  more  he  taught  district 
schools  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home. 

At  the  age  of  21  he  matriculated  at  the  North- Western 
Christian  University,  now  Butler  College,  at  Irvington,  In- 
diana. In  1864  he'  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army  and  went 
with  his  company  to  Stephenson,  Alabama.    In  1865  he  en- 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  ADMINISTRATION,  1870-18S2.       219 

tered  the  University  of  Michigan  and  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1868.  That  class  consisted  of  54  men  and  was  the 
largest  and  one  of  the  strongest  ever  graduated  up  to  that 
time.  In  the  fall  of  1868  he  was  elected  to  the  professorship 
of  Greek  in  Alliance  College  where  he  served  two  years 
with  Dr.  Isaac  Errett,  President,  and  Professor  A.  R.  Ben- 
ton of  Butler  College,  B.  A.  Hinsdale  and  others.  In  1870 
he  accepted  the  chair  of  Ancient  Languages  in  Hiram  Col- 
lege under  President  Hinsdale. 

In  i872-'73  he  was  an  instructor  of  Mathematics  in  the 
University  of  Michigan.  The  three  following  years  he  was 
Principal  of  the  Ann  Arbor  High  School.  In  1876  he  was 
again  in  the  University  as  Assistant  Professor  of  English 
Language  and  Literature,  and  History.  On  the  resigna- 
tion of  Prof.  M.  C.  Tyler  in  1881  Prof.  Demmon  succeeded 
to  the  vacant  chair,  which  he  has  since  held  with  the  title 
of  Professor  of  English  and  Rhetoric.  For  this  important 
chair  he  has  a  peculiar  fitness.  His  range  of  study  has  been 
broad,  and  his  experience  as  a  teacher  varied.  "He  has  the 
literary  sense,  justness  of  perception,  catholic  appreciation, 
correctness  of  taste,  and  a  sympathetic  power  of  interpret- 
ing authors  of  very  divergent  qualities." 

He  has  received  academic  degrees :  A.  B.,  University 
of  Michigan,  1868  A.  M.,  (ibed)  1871 ;  and  LL.  D.,  Uni- 
versity of  Nashville,  1896.  He  is  a  man  of  high  character, 
a  genial  companion,  a  scholar  in  the  first  rank,  an  able  pro- 
fessor, and  an  accomplished  teacher.  His  stay  in  Hiram 
was  brief  but  honorable ;  and  the  paragraph  which  he  fills 
in  Hiram  history  is  bright  with  the  foregleams  of  the  great 
success  which  now  crowns  and  adorns  his  life. 

Wilson  S.  Atkinson  was  Professor  of  Mathematics  and 
Astronomy.  He  was  a  strong  man  in  his  department  but 
failing  health  compelled  his  retirement  in  1875.    On  receiv- 


320  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ing  his  resignation  the  Board  of  Trustees 
Wilson  S.  "Resolved,  That  we  accept  with  sincere 

regret  the  resignation  of  Professor  W.  S. 
Atkinson,  an  act  to  which  he  has  been  reluctantly  brought 
by  tlie  protracted  prostration  of  his  health ;  that  during  his 
occupancy  for  the  period  of  four  years,  of  the  Chair  of 
Mathematics  and  Astronomy,  to  the  full  satisfaction  of  the 
Board,  he  has  proved  himself  in  all  respects  an  instructor 
and  a  disciplinarian  in  his  department,  of  superior  skill  and 
ability,  and,  also,  a  gentleman,  who  has  secured  for  himself 
our  sincerest  respect ;  that  we  deeply  sympathize  with  him  in 
the  continued  frailty  of  his  health,  in  the  disappointment  of 
the  cherished  purposes  of  his  life,  and  also  with  his  family 
in  their  present  trying  situation ;  that  this  action  of  the 
Board  be  communicated  to  Professor  Atkinson,  and  entered 
on  our  records." 

Edmund  B.  Wakefield  was  Professor  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences.   The  entrance  of  Professor  Wakefield  into  this  Fac- 
ulty was  the  beginning  of  his  distinguished  career  as  an 
educator.     In  1873  he  resigned  from  the 
Edmund  B.  Faculty  and  for  a  number  of  years  de- 

voted himself  to  preaching  and  pastoral 
work.  In  this  field  he  achieved  distinction  and  success.  In 
1890  he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  Political  Science  and 
Biblical  Theology  and  still  holds  a  high  place  in  the  Fac- 
ulty of  Hiram  College.  Of  a  genial  temperament  and  easily 
approachable,  a  virile  thinker,  a  courteous  gentleman,  with 
a  dignity  before  students  and  people  that  always  commands 
respect,  he  is  a  favorite  with  all. 

Osmer   C.   Hill   was    Principal   of   the 
Osmer  C.  Hill.       Commercial    and    Chirographic    Depart- 
ments. 

A.  J.  Squire,  M.  D.,  was  Lecturer    on 
A.  J.  Squire.         Chemistry  and  Physiology. 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1S82.        221 

Miss  Ellen  Miss  Ellen  Jackson  was  the  Principal 

Jackson.  of  the  Ladies'  Department. 

Orlo   C.    Hubbell   taught   German,    Grove    E.    Barber 

taught  Latin,  Sutton  E.  Young  in  the  English  Department, 

George  H.  Colton  in  the  Scientific  Department,  and  Mrs.  J. 

C.  Ellis  was  teacher  of  Instrumental  Music. 

In  1872  the  Faculty  was  somewhat  changed.    Teachers 
Barber,  Young  and  Colton  dropped  out  and  Mrs.  Marietta 
Cuscaden  succeeded  Miss  Jackson  as  Principal  of  the  La- 
dies' Department.     The  Board  of  Trus- 
1872 

tees  recognized  the  merit  of  these  young 

men  and  placed  on  record  "the  thanks  of  the  Board"  for 
"the  able  and  faithful  manner  in  which  they  had  discharged 
the  duties  of  assistant  teachers  during  the  year;"  and  of 
Miss  Jackson  the  Board  said :  "We  tender  to  Miss  Jackson 
our  appreciation  of  the  ability  and  devotion  she  has  evinced 
in  discharging  the  duties  incident  to  her  office,  and  of  her 
character  as  a  Christian  lady." 

]^g73  In  1873  Orlo  C.  Hubbell  was  succeeded 

Mrs.  Marj  E.         by  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Hinsdale  as  teacher  of 
Hinsdale.  German. 

In  1874  Professor  Wakefield  was  suc- 

1874.  ceeded  in  the  Chair  of  the  Natural  Sci- 

George  H.  ences  by  George  H.  Colton,  a  chair  he  has 

Colton.  filled  v.'ith  eminent  ability  to  the  present 

time. 
Professor  Colton  was  born  in  Nelson,  Portage  County, 
O.,  October  10,  1848.  His  parentage  was  of  good  Nevv' 
England  stock.  His  boyhood  years  were  spent  on  the  farm, 
where  he  was  a  close  observer  of  the  habits  and  characteris- 
tics of  plants  and  animals.  Outside  of  his  home  his  educa- 
tion began  in  the  "old  fashioned  district  school"  where  the 
scholars  were  never   graded  or   grouped,  and    where   the 


232  HISTORY    OF    HIRA.AI    COLLEGE. 

teacher  always  "boarded  around."  From  the  district  school 
he  entered  Nelson  Academy,  where  he  prepared  himself  to 
enter  college.  In  the  fall  of  1867  he  entered  Hiram  Col- 
lege. He  graduated  in  1871,  receiving  the  Degree  of  B.  S., 
and  in  course  received  the  Master's  Degree.  In  1892  the 
Board  conferred  the  Degree  of  Ph.  D.  on  Professor  Colton, 
Magna  Cum  Laude.  After  his  graduation  at  Hiram  he  took 
a  special  course  in  civil  engineering  and  science  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan.  In  June,  1872,  he  was  a  member  of 
the  engineer  corps  of  the  Cuyahoga  Valley  Railroad,  and 
aided  in  the  location  and  construction  of  that  line.  In  1873 
he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Division  Engineer,  and 
had  charge  of  a  part  of  the  road  under  construction.  In  the 
fall  of  1873  he  resigned  his  position  to  accept  the  chair  of 
the  Natural  Sciences  in  Hiram  College,  a  position  he  has 
held  continuously  ever  since.  In  1883  he  was  elected  Treas- 
urer of  Hiram  College,  a  position  he  has  held  with  eminent 
ability  to  the  present  time.  In  1886  when  the  main  building 
was  enlarged  he  had  charge  of  the  funds  and  "so  satisfac- 
torily did  he  perform  his  duties,  that  the  building  commit- 
tee, in  token  of  their  appreciation,  presented  to  him  a  hand- 
some gold  watch  and  chain." 

In  his  department  Professor  Colton  is  a  superior  teach- 
er. He  bears  an  honorable  character,  and  his  genial  and 
even  temper,  and  his  marked  mental  ability,  and  his  wide 
knowledge  of  men  and  subjects  for  study,  make  him  not 
only  a  professor  of  the  first  rank  but  also,  a  desirable  com- 
panion. 

In  1875  there  were  no  changes  in  the 
Faculty. 

1876.  In   the   catalogue   of    1876  there   were 

Colman  Bancroft.  ,         ,  -n.      r  a  ^i  • 

Mrs.  Phoebe  B.       several     changes.        Professor    Atkmson 

Clapp.  was   succeeded   by   Colman   Bancroft  as 

Professor   of   jMathematics   and  Astron- 


B.  A,  Hinsdale's  administration,  1S70-18S2.       223 

omy,  and  Mrs.  Phoebe  B.  Clapp  took  the  place  of  Professor 

Hill  as  teacher  of  penmanship. 

Professor  Bancroft  began  his  service  in  Hiram  College 

in  the  fall  of  1875  and  with  the  single  interruption  of  1879 

to  1 88 1  he  has  served  continuously  to  the  present  time.    He 

was  born  in  Cattaraugus   County,  State 

ro  essor  ^^    New   York,    in    1843,    and    spent   his 

Bancroft.  ^^  ^ 

early  years  on  a  farm.      When   he  was 

twelve  years  old  he  attended  the  Academy  at  Rushford, 
New  York,  and  afterward.  Pike  Seminary  in  the  same  state. 
In  1865  he  entered  the  University  of  Michigan  where  he 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1869.  In  addition  to  his  course 
at  the  University  he  did  extra  work  in  French,  Italian, 
Chemistry  and  Mathematics.  In  1870  he  was  Principal  of 
the  High  School  at  La  Porte,  Indiana.  In  1871  he  was  Pro- 
fessor in  Alliance  College  and  remained  in  that  Institution 
until  its  doors  were  closed.  In  1875  he  came  to  Hiram 
where  he  still  remains.  He  has  always  held  a  high  rank  in 
the  Faculty  of  Hiram  College.  He  is  thoroughly  equipped 
for  his  work  and  in  his  class  room  everything  is  thorough 
and  systematic.  He  is  a  man  of  many  accomplishments,  and 
not  least  among  them  are  the  adornments  of  his  Christian 
character,  modesty,  sincerity,  integrity  and  intelligence. 

In  1877  Dr.  A.  J.  Squire  retired  from 

1877.  ^1^^  Faculty  and  Miss  Lillie  M.  Stow  took 
g  the  place  of  Mrs.  J.  C.  Ellis  as  teacher  of 

Instrumental  Music  for  a  year. 

In  1878  the  name  of  Arthur  C.  Pierson 

1878.  appears  as   Teacher  of  English   Studies. 
Arthur  C.  Pierson.     dropping  out  in  1879  and  re-appearing  in 

1880. 
Arthur  Chester  Pierson  was  l)orn  in  Kcosauqua,  Iowa, 
May  20,  1852,  and  died  in  Ravenna,  Ohio,  June  15,  1900. 


324  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  lie  was  Professor  of  English  Liter- 
ature and  Psychology  in  Pliram  College, 
Sketch  of  ^nci  fo^  th^  first  time  in  its  history  his 

Arthur  Chester       death  broke  the  active  teaching  force  of 

Pierson.  the  college.    He  had  also  begun  the  writ- 

ing of  the  History  of  the  College  of  which 
his  own  memorial  sketch  is  now  a  part.  On  the  day  of  his 
burial  Prof.  E.  B.  Wakefield,  his  associate  in  the  Faculty 
and  a  life-long  friend  pronounced  the  memorial  discourse. 
He  so  accurately  voiced  the  facts  in  regard  to  Prof.  Pierson 
that  what  he  said  in  large  part  forms  the  body  of  this  sketch  : 

For  the  first  time  in  its  history  has  the  active  teaching 
force  of  Hiram  College  been  broken  in  upon  by  death.  Ana 
the  first  stroke  has  fallen  well  to  the  center  of  the  group. 
What  the  passing  of  this  life  meant  to  those  who  have  so 
long  shared  in  its  anxious  toils  and  its  inspiring  hopes,  I 
have  no  words  to  tell.  Arthur  C.  Pierson  was  born  in  Keo- 
sauqua,  la.,  May  20,  1852.  While  he  was  an  infant  his  par- 
ents removed  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Of  his  life  here,  espe- 
cially of  his  later  years  in  San  Francisco,  he  had  vivid  mem- 
ories, as  those  who  have  read  his  occasional  sketches,  or 
listened  to  his  lecture  on  "The  Golden  Gate,"  will  well  re- 
member. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  left  an  orphan,  homeless, 
penniless,  almost  friendless,  in  a  land  at  that  time  very  far 
off.  But  a  kind  Providence  brought  him  to  the  home  of  an 
uncle  in  York  County,  Pa.  In  later  years  he  expressed  grat- 
itude for  this  passage  of  his  life.  He  toiled  on  a  farm,  he 
acquired  a  love  for  its  homely  and  substantial  virtues  which 
he  never  got  over ;  he  felt  as  many  another  has,  that  no 
other  home  introduces  one  so  well  to  the  fundamental  and 
unperverted  facts  that  concern  our  human  existence. 

In  early  manhood  young  Pierson  found  himself  a  stu- 
dent and  a  graduate  of  the  Normal  School  at  Ada,  O.  He 
heard  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  under  William  Bowling 
(whose  memory  he  always  tenderly  revered),  and  the  re- 
sult of  that  preaching  was  natural,  and,  of  course,  far-reach- 
iv.^.    Henceforth  his  Christian  faith  was  the  main  fact,  and 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870- 1883.      225 

the  great  shaping  force  of  his  life.  Early  in  1876  he  came 
to  Hiram,  and  in  1879  ^^^  was  graduated.  From  the  first  he 
loved  the  college ;  he  found  associations  such  as  he  was  hun- 
gry for ;  he  wished  them  never  to  be  broken  off.  And  now 
his  wish  is  gratified.  They  never  will  be  broken.  For  three 
years  after  graduation  he  was  a  tutor  in  the  college.  Then 
he  was  made  a  full  professor  in  the  chair  of  rhetoric  and 
English  literature ;  and  this  place,  excepting  one  year's  ab- 
sence on  leave,  he  filled  until  he  bade  farewell  to  all  of 
earth. 

In  reviewing  the  past  twenty  years  of  this  life,  one  is 
struck  with  the  prodigious  amount  of  work  that  he  has  done. 
He  has  taught  incessantly  in  the  classroom ;  he  has  preached, 
as  a  rule,  every  Sunday ;  he  has  held  meetings,  and  assisted 
in  teachers'  institutes,  and  delivered  lectures  and  addresses 
of  various  character,  almost  without  number.  Besides  all 
this,  he  has  written  extensively,  and  in  his  writing  he  dis- 
played such  aptness  and  real  ability  that  we  mourn  today, 
and  can  scarce  be  comforted,  that  the  limitations  of  life  for- 
bade his  ever  showing  his  full  power  to  the  world. 

No  man  connected  with  the  college  has  ever  done  so 
much  work  in  the  region  that  immediately  environs  us.  He 
has  carried  the  loftiest  ideals  of  life,  in  their  best  forms  of 
expression,  into  scores  and  scores  of  communities.  Men 
have  long  said  he  was  an  "exceedingly  valuable  man."  But 
how  valuable  he  was  will  be  better  understood  now,  when 
we  try  to  fill  the  place  where  he  stood  so  long.  And  this 
leads  me  to  say  that  there  are  some  people  in  the  world  that 
can  readily  be  spared ;  there  are  plenty  to  fill  their  places. 
The  man  who  fills  high  place  in  state  may  fall,  and  a  thous- 
and aspirants,  with  all  their  partisans,  will  mourn  only  in 
public.  The  man  who  sits  environed  with  wealth  may  de- 
part, and  the  world  be  as  well  off,  and  his  successors  be  glad. 
But  when  a  man  who  is  inspired  and  compensated  from  his 
own  heart,  has  carried  light  where  there  was  darkness,  and 
comfort  where  there  was  sorrow,  and  made  his  life  a  living 
sacrifice — when  such  a  man  is  called  away,  the  world  misses 
him ;  and  for  him  remains  the  sweetest  incense  earth  can 
pay — the  holy  tears  of  grieving  gratitude. 

One  of  the  most  strikino-  features  of  Professor  Her- 


226  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

son's  life  was  his  generosity;  perhaps  I  had  better  say,  his 
unselfishness.  He  gave  away  of  his  time  and  money  up  to 
his  ability,  and  sometimes  beyond.  In  the  college  no  pro- 
fessor was  so  ready  to  take  on  extra  work.  Indeed,  some- 
times it  seemed  impossible  to  load  him  down.  If  called  to 
outside  work,  it  was  always  understood  that,  if  possible, 
he  would  say  "Yes."  When  sometimes  an  appointment 
came  due  when  he  was  overwhelmed  with  work,  he  would 
declare  that  he  never  would  make  such  a  promise  again. 
But  he  would — the  very  first  time  that  another  call  came  \ 

And  here  we  have  the  end  of  it !  Aged  forty-eight,  in 
the  very  prime  of  a  splendid  manhood,  and  he  is  gone.  He 
literally  gave  his  life  away.  But,  after  all,  amid  all  our 
grief,  I  don't  know  as  we  should  have  it  changed. 

In  intellectual  life  one  of  his  weak  points  was  closely 
allied  to  a  strong  one.  He  had  a  name  for  being  absent- 
minded  ;  and  while  there  have  been  joking  exaggerations, 
there  was  a  good  measure  of  truth  in  it.  But  his  absent- 
mindedness  never  came  from  vacancy  of  mind.  He  had 
great  power  of  abstraction,  and  he  would  lose  himself — 
sometimes  inopportunely,  of  course — in  a  train  of  absorb- 
ing thought.  But  when  his  abstraction  met  the  occasion,  it 
gave  him  great  power.  His  teaching  was  not  equal,  but 
when  he  could  readily  give  himself  to  the  subject  he  taught 
with  surpassing  excellence.  In  his  sermons,  when  he  really 
lost  himself  in  his  theme,  he  would  often  clothe  lofty  and 
symmetrical  thought  with  a  beauty  of  expression  that  few 
can  attain  to.  I  have  often  thought  that  his  mind  showed 
itself  most  truly  in  his  prayers.  Bowing  in  the  presence  of 
the  Invisible  with  him  compelled  abstraction,  and  often 
there  was  a  child-like  devotion  and  a  beauty  of  diction  that 
concealed  its  very  excellence  by  its  excellence. 

As  a  preacher,  Professor  Pierson  was  not  given  to  doc- 
trinal argument,  nor  was  he  famed  for  exhortation ;  al- 
though he  knew  sound  doctrine,  and  on  occasion  could  make 
effective  appeals.  But  he  was  good  at  drawing  lessons  from 
the  Bible  and  applying  them  to  life.  His  preaching  was,  in 
the  nobler  sense,  rational  and  practical.  He  had  no  art  for 
making  compromises,  and  he  could  never  try  to  be  sensa- 
tional.   But  every  community  loved  to  hear  him  preach,  and 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1S70-1SS2.       227 

churches  usually  built  up  under  his  ministry,  even  if  he  was 
only  a  "Sunday  pastor." 

One  secret  of  his  strength  in  the  ministry  I  am  sure  is 
not  fully  understood.  He  had  a  faith  in  Christ  and  his  gos- 
pel that  was  really  as  childlike  and  unquestioning  as  I  have 
ever  known.  Doubt  seemed  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature, 
and  the  great  characters  of  the  Bible  were  living  verities  to 
him.  And  right  here  let  me  say  that  he  was  a  most  guile- 
less man.  To  conceive  of  him  engaging  in  any  plot  to  in- 
jure another,  or  to  get  underhand  gain,  would  be  to  think 
the  unthinkable.  If  he  had  ever  anger  or  ill  will  toward  an- 
other, he  could  not  hold  it.  It  would  evaporate  like  dew 
when  the  summer  sun  has  risen,  and  leave  no  more  trace  be- 
hind. I  have  heard  him  mourn  over  the  limitations  of  his 
life,  and  his  failure  to  realize  his  ideals,  but  I  never  heard 
him  speak  bitterly  of  any  one,  or  disclose  anything  like  mal- 
ice rankling  in  his  heart. 

He  was  a  good  companion  to  have  wholly  to  one's  self. 
He  was  greatly  at  home  in  the  whole  range  of  English  liter- 
ature; and,  when  really  aroused,  it  surprised  one  to  find 
what  extensive  passages  of  it  he  had  at  his  command.  When 
some  happy  theme  was  struck,  even  if  wandering  in  leafy 
groves  far  from  all  books,  you  might  hear  "readings  from 
the  authors"  till  it  almost  seemed  that  memory  was  inspired. 
Of  late  his  mind  has  greatly  centered  on  the  history  of  the 
college  which  he  was  appointed  to  write.  As  he  worked 
upon  it,  it  seemed  as  though  the  dreams  of  earlier  days  had 
come  back.  He  would  do  at  length  a  work  with  solid  lit- 
erary merit ;  he  hoped,  he  said,  to  make  it  a  monument  to  his 
memory.  Alas !  it  stands  like  many  another  fondly  cher- 
ished plan — a  broken  shaft  above  a  grave. 

But  of  all  themes  that  to  which  his  mind  would  most 
surely  turn  concerned  the  Christian  faith.  The  burden  of 
churches  was  always  upon  him,  and  he  thought  unceasingly 
upon  their  welfare.  He  studied  with  sincere  concern  the 
great  struggle  that  goes  on  to  establish  or  destroy  the  king- 
dom of  God  on  earth.  To  him,  he  once  said,  the  struggle 
to  make  the  faith  in  Christ  triumphant,  was  like  the  struggle 
of  the  patriot  to  save  his  country — his  home  and  altar  and 
heart  and  hope,  were  all  dependent  on  it.     His  convictions 


228  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

were  deep,  and  they  held  with  remarkable  firmness.  There 
might  be  waves  on  the  surface,  but  his  soul  had  depths 
where  changeful  storms  had  small  effect  and  wrathful  bil- 
lows never  rolled. 

There  are  some  lives  that  face  so  many  adversities,  and 
move  on  against  such  cruel  headwinds,  that  the  whole  voy- 
age grows  heroic  and  pathetic.  No  gilded  caraval,  no 
liovv'ery  beds  of  ease,  bore  this  life.  Alone,  through  years 
of  utter  poverty,  the  boy  fought  his  own  way  to  cultured 
manhood.  His  married  life  was  broken  by  death,  and  long 
sickness  and  death  again.  Through  years  of  heart-break- 
ing burden  he  still  went  with  high  purpose  on.  And  he  has 
fallen  still  in  the  front  of  life's  battle,  with  his  face  full 
front  to  duty.  His  life  honors  all  who  walked  beside  him. 
To  his  stricken  wife  and  his  orphaned  children  he  has  left 
the  best  heritage  a  man  ever  leaves — a  name  unsullied  by 
dishonor,  and  a  memory  dearly  loved. 

His  last  hours  were  a  fitting  and  natural  close  to  the 
life  he  had  lived.  Through  bitter  pain  he  was  called  sud- 
denly to  face  the  ending  of  every  earthly  hope,  and  every 
fond  and  familiar  association.  And  he  was  not  dismayed, 
he  was  not  unmanned,  he  was  all  himself.  He  calmly  ar- 
ranged his  earthly  affairs.  He  said  he  had  the  dread  of  dis- 
solution and  separation  from  friends  natural  to  man,  and 
yet  he  did  not  fear  to  die.    And  then 

"Beyond  our  voice  and  sight 
He  drifted  out." 
O  my  brother !  It  dazes  my  brain  and  rends  my  heart  to 
speak  these  words  over  your* cold  form.  And  yet  it  com- 
forts me.  We  have  sometimes  talked  of  what  the  passage 
from  this  life  to  the  other  meant.  In  higher  or  in  lower 
sense  we  found  no  vision  of  the  great  transition.  But  we 
did  trust,  in  the  "vague  beyond,"  to  find  One  who  once 
walked  lovingly  with  men  ;  and  on  that  hope  we  rested.  Now 
you  behold  with  open  vision,  and  we,  too,  shall  soon  behold 
what  you  beheld. 

In  our  chapel,  not  long  ago,  in  speaking  of  the  death 
of  one  of  our  former  teachers,  he  quoted  a  passage  from 
the  poet,  wherein  the  death  of  a  good  man  is  likened  to  the 
going  down  of  the  sun.     As,  when  the  sun  has  gone,  the 


iB 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1S70-18S3.        329 


golden  sunset  lingers,  so  the  departing  life  leaves  golden 
memories  gleaming  in  the  westward  sky.  But  the  clouds 
are  golden  because  the  sun  still  shines.  Indeed,  it  seems  to 
me  utterly  true  that  moral  goodness  and  love  do  not  belong 
to  things  that  die.  Our  friend  has  gone  from  our  sight, 
but  love  grown  more  tender,  and  memories  hallowed,  linger  ; 
and  that  they  linger  is  assurance  that  in  immortal  scenes, 
beneath  a  fairer  sky,  he  still  lives  on. 

We  lay  down  such  a  life  as  this  as  soldiers  do  their 
dead  upon  the  hard-fought  battlefield — with  a  proud  sorrow 
and  exultant  grief.  We  miss  our  comrade,  but  he  fought 
well.  He  was  wounded  in  the  conflict,  but  he  stood  fast  to 
the  end,  and  did  not  falter.  The  march  was  long  and  rough, 
and  his  feet  grew  weary,  but  he  finished  it.  Clouds  rolled 
until  the  way  was  dark  sometimes,  but  he  kept  his  faith. 
Now  the  march  and  the  battle  are  all  over^  and  the  crowning 
time  has  come.  It  is  death  that  sets  the  seal  to  victory  in 
life.  If  truth  and  honor  and  pure  fidelity  be  kept  until  this 
hour,  they  are  kept  forever. 

And  so  today,  like  Evangeline — only  with  far  more 
reason,  after  all  the  faithful  years,  in  view  of  all  we  have 
had  and  all  that  we  hold — we  can  clasp  our  dead  to  our 
hearts,  and  say,  "Father,  we  thank  thee." 

In  1879  C.  D.  Hubbell  and  Miss  Alpha 
A.  Boynton  were  teachers  of  English 
Studies,  and  Louis  C.  Force  a  special 
teacher  of  Elocution. 

In  1880  Miss  Mary  B.  Jewctt  became 
Principal  of  the  Ladies  Department,  and 
Professor  of  Modern  Languages;  Fred 
A.  Niles  was  teacher  of  Penmanship  and 
Bookkeeping;  and  II.  I\L  Stone  was 
teacher  of  English  Studies. 

In  188 1  Charles  F.  Schovanek  taught 
Penmanship  and  Bookkeeping,  and 
George  A.  Peckham  began  his  long  ser- 
vice in  the  College  as  Professor  of  Math- 
ematics and  Astronomy. 


1879. 

C.  D.  Hubbell. 

Alpha  A.  Boynton. 

Louis  C.  Force. 

1880. 
Miss  Mary  B. 

Jewett. 
Fred  A.  Niles. 
H.  M.  Stone. 

1881. 

George  A. 

Peckham. 

Charles  F. 

Schovanek. 


230  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

George  A,  Peckham  was  born  in  Akron,  O.,  July  17, 
185 1,  and  is  the  oldest  of  four  children  in  his  father's  fam- 
ily. His  father  is  a  Connecticut  Yankee,  and  his  mother 
of  the  best  of  Pennsylvania  stock,  her  ancestry  embracing 
some  of  the  best  families  of  Holland.  His  first  school  ex- 
periences were  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  city.  He 
was  naturally  studious  and  his  progress  was  rapid.  He 
came  to  Hiram  as  a  student  in  1869,  and  began  the  study 
of  Latin.  The  year  1870  he  spent  in  Bethany  College.  At 
the  opening  of  Buchtel  College  in  1872  he  entered  in  its 
classical  course  and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1875,  in  the 
meantime  doing  a  year  of  extra  work  in  both  Latin  and 
Greek.  He  remained  after  his  graduation,  for  two  years  as 
a  teacher  in  Buchtel. 

November  i,  1877,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  and 
located  with  the  Disciple  Church  in  Granger,  Medina 
County,  O.,  where  he  remained  for  one  year.  In  1878  he 
accepted  a  call  to  the  chair  of  Ancient  Languages  in  Buch- 
tel College,  which  place  he  held  with  rapidly  growing  dis- 
tinction until  he  entered  Hiram  in  1880.  Since  his  ordina- 
tion in  1877  he  has  preached  with  more  or  less  regularity 
to  the  present  time.  His  sermons  are  scholarly  and  sound, 
but  his  throne  is  not  the  pulpit  but  the  professor's  chair. 
Here  he  is  perfectly  at  ease  and  his  will  is  imperious.  He 
is  a  linguist  of  high  rank  having  few  equals  and  fewer  su- 
periors. He  is  a  diligent  student  and  a  discriminating 
thinker.  He  makes  no  parade  of  his  learning,  but  the  sons 
of  many  countries  could  speak  with  him  in  their  mother 
tongue,  with  ease  and  pleasure. 

As  a  Christian  man  his  character  is  unstained  by  fault 
or  foible ;  as  a  friend  he  is  honorable  and  faithful ;  and  as  a 
companion  always  cheerful  and  agreeable.  At  its  June  meet- 
ing in  1900  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram  College  con- 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1S82.      231 

ferred  on  him  the  Degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy  Magna 
cum  laude. 

In    1882    Mahlon   H.    Wilson   became 

^    "■  teacher  of  Penmanship  and  Bookkeepina:, 

Mahlon  H.Wilson.  ,     ^  ,^     „,.       ^         ,  r    t 

Anna  M.  Win<-.  ^"^  Anna  M.  Wmg  teacher  of  Instru- 
mental Music. 
Thus  twenty-two  different  persons  served  in  the  Fac- 
ulty of  President  Hinsdale  during  his  administration  of 
twelve  years ;  but  it  will  be  observed  that  the  changes  were 
mainly  in  the  subordinate  departments  of  the  College.  The 
idea  of  permanency  was  being  emphasized  by  the  continu- 
ous service  of  those  who  were  elected  to  professor's  chairs. 
A  College  Faculty  was  being  created  that  could  not  be 
changed  except  for  extraordinary  reasons.  In  his  effort  to 
secure  this  condition  the  President  of  the  College  had  the 
cordial  support  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  Board  in  May,  1871,  the  following  resolution  was  adopt- 
ed :  "That  the  arrangement  made  by  the  Board  with  the 
present  Faculty  in  July,  1870,  be  continued  hereafter 
as  a  permanent  arrangement  for  management  and  instruc- 
tion in  the  College." 

President  Hinsdale  on  entering  upon  the  presidency  of 
Hiram  College  chose  for  his  inaugural  address  "The  Secu- 
larization of  Learning,"  in  which  he  stated  with  consider- 
able emphasis  what  he  considered  neces- 
President  ^^^Y  '^^'^  ^  course  of  college  study.     This 

Hinsdale's  address  can  be  found  in  full  in  the  vol- 

Inaugural  Address,  ume  "Schools  and  Studies"  which  he 
issued  in  1884.  Only  his  analysis  and 
summary  are  given  here.  After  an  extensive  argument  as 
to  the  relative  value  of  the  classics  and  the  sciences  for  tiie 
purposes  of  liberal  study  he  said:  "Separate  and  apart  from 
all  arguments,  wc  have  here  the  best  of  reasons  for  includ- 


23^  HISTORY    OF    HIKAM    COLLEGE. 

ing  the  classics  in  a  liberal  curriculum — they  are  the  best 
breaking-in  studies.  At  the  same  time  they  cover  only  a 
small  part  of  the  whole  educational  field.  The  mathematics, 
the  sciences  of  nature  and  man,  the  modern  languages,  have 
each  a  place,  and  a  place  that  the  classics  cannot  fill.  No 
wise  educator  will  attempt  to  fit  the  modern  mind  to  any 
single  curriculum.  My  claim  is  that  these  languages  and 
literatures  are  invaluable  in  their  own  place.  They  should, 
moreover,  be  studied  according  to  modern  methods  and  in 
the  modern  spirit,  and  should  be  combined  with  a  judicious 
selection  of  other  studies.  At  this  point  educational  con- 
servatism has  already  been  compelled  to  yield  ground,  and 
to  find  room  for  studies  that  the  mere  classicist  cannot  bring 
himself  rightly  to  value.  Some  of  these  studies  may  be  set 
down  in  this  place. 

I — Such  books  of  history  and  geography  as  will  give 
a  knowledge  of  the  world  of  today. 

2 — More  work  should  be  done  in  political  or  govern- 
mental science.  In  Europe,  where  the  citizen  has  but  small 
share  in  the  conducting  of  State  affairs,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  little  or  no  attention  should  be  paid  to  political  science, 
save  in  its  higher  speculative  phases ;  but  in  the  United 
States,  where  the  people  govern,  where  at  stated  periods  all 
political  power  returns  to  their  hands,  it  is  astonishing  that 
the  schools  deal  so  little  with  the  duties  of  citizenship.  The 
result  of  this  neglect  is  that  a  majority  of  our  citizens  are 
ignorant,  not  only  of  political  science  in  general,  but,  what 
is  worse,  of  the  nature  and  working  of  our  own  political  in- 
stitutions. I  am  not  now  referring  to  such  political  edu- 
cation as  can  be  gained  from  partisan  newspapers  or  party 
platforms.  I  mean  a  well-grounded  knowledge  of  the  na- 
ture and  history  of  our  constitutions  and  laws.  Above  all, 
every  American  boy  should  be  so  familiar  with  American 


c()Ij.k(;e  kacui.iy  in  moo. 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1882.       233 

history  as  to  be  thoroughly  aHve  with  the  American  spirit. 

3 — Something  more  should  be  done  for  those  studies 
which  relate  to  the  physical  and  spiritual  nature  of  man, — 
those  studies  which  together  make  up  a  science  of  humanity. 
Here  we  meet  the  sciences  of  anatomy  and  physiology  upon 
the  one  hand,  and  those  of  mental  and  moral  science  upon 
the  other.  The  last  have  indeed  long  been  prominent ;  the 
others  are  now  compelling  a  recognition. 

4 — Larger  room  should  be  found  for  our  own  incom- 
parable English  language  and  literature.  I  have  spoken  of 
various  educational  facilities  and  instruments  to  which  the 
old  scholars  and  teachers  had  no  access.  Here  is  one  of 
them.  Here  is  enough  material  to  make  a  very  thorough 
course  of  literary  study, — poetry  and  oratory,  history  and 
philosophy,  science  and  theology,  wit  and  wisdom. 

The  extension  of  education  has  led  to  another  demand 
which  must  be  briefly  considered,  namely, — the  demand  for 
what  is  called  'practical  education.'  Now  I  approve  of  an 
education  that  is  really  practical,  and  I  approve  of  no  other. 
The  merits  of  the  question  hinge  on  the  meaning  of  the 
term.  In  popular  estimation  it  means  an  education  that  is 
cheap,  an  education  that  is  speedily  obtained,  an  education 
that  soon  begins  to  put  money  in  the  pocket, — in  a  word,  it 
means  the  'bread  and  butter  sciences,'  and  these  taught  in 
a  hasty,  superficial  manner.  That  such  a  demand  as  this 
should  exist  is  natural ;  it  is  the  inevitable  result  of  the  at- 
tempt to  educate  the  people.  Education  for  the  million 
means  cheap  education,  for  the  million  cannot  afford  any 
other;  and,  in  the  best  sense,  cheap  education  means  poor, 
or  at  least,  meagre,  education.  This  is  all  very  well  under- 
stood. But  the  trouble  comes  in  tbe  attempt  to  make  the 
popular  standard  the  measure  of  higher  education.  French 
cannot  be  taught  in  twelve  lessons,  or  Latin  in  two  years; 


234  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

nor  can  a  decent  collegiate  education  be  furnished  when  the 
pupil  is  graduated  in  four  years  from  the  time  that  he  leaves 
the  common  school  or  the  academy.  Whenever  a  college 
proposes  to  teach  ten  books  of  Homer  in  four  or  five  months, 
it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  something  is  wrong;  and  when  an 
institution  of  any  sort  proposes  to  give  what  is  called  a 
'practical  education/  and  contemns  the  accepted  methods 
of  mental  discipline,  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  its  managers 
are  more  interested  in  getting  the  money  of  their  pupils 
than  in. promoting  their  mental  growth.  The  two  great  ele- 
ments that  enter  into  thorough  mental  training  are  time  and 
application;  and  without  these  such  training  is  impossible. 
An  old  Greek  said:  'The  gods  sell  everything  for  toil.' 
Bacon's  test  in  philosophy  is  the  only  one  to  apply  to  edu- 
cation,— it  is  the  test  of  utility,  or  of  fruit.  The  popular 
talk  about  'practical  education,'  save  in  the  case  of  the  mil- 
lion, is  a  piece  of  cant.  All  studies  that  develop  mental 
power  and  put  the  student  in  possession  of  valuable  knowl- 
edge, are  practical,  but  the  men  who  publish  programmes 
and  courses  of  instruction  that  fit  boys  and  girls  for  the 
work  of  life  over  night  are  sciolists  that  ought  not  to  be 
countenanced. 

Finally,  it  may  fairly  be  said  that  the  secularizing  of 
learning  has  brought  up  the  question  of  woman's  educa- 
tion. For  this  reason,  as  well  as  for  the  reason  that  this 
Institution  is  dedicated  to  co-education,  I  shall  say  a  word 
or  two  about  this  question.  Hitherto  girls  have  been  edu- 
cated with  too  exclusive  attention  to  'their  sphere.'  There 
is  no  reason  why  girls  should  not  have  as  broad,  strong, 
and  thorough  a  general  training  as  boys ;  nor  do  I  see  any 
reason  why,  to  a  great  extent,  it  should  not  be  the  same 
training.  I  do  not  indeed  advise  that  as  many  girls  as  boys 
should  take  a  classical  course  of  study;  but  a  girl  has  as 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1882.       335 

good  a  claim  as  a  boy  to  high  mental  cultivation.  At  the 
same  time,  her  education  should  have  a  shaping  towards  the 
place  in  nature  and  in  society  that  God  has  assigned  her. 
There  are  some  things  that  men  may  profitably  know  which 
it  is  almost  criminal  for  a  woman  not  to  know.  Many 
topics  lying  in  the  field  to  which  we  are  now  brought  are 
tabooed  in  public  discussion ;  but  I  may  close  with  a  quota- 
tion from  Mr.  Herbert  Spencer  that  suggests  more  than  it 
says:  'When  a  mother  is  mourning  over  a  first-born  that 
has  sunk  under  the  sequelae  of  scarlet  fever ;  when,  perhaps, 
a  candid  medical  man  has  confirmed  her  suspicion  that  her 
child  would  have  recovered  had  not  its  system  been  en- 
feebled by  over-study;  when  she  is  prostrate  under  the 
pangs  of  combined  grief  and  remorse, — it  is  but  a  small  con- 
solation that  she  can  read  Dante  in  the  original.'  " 

The  financial  condition  of  the  College  during  President 
Hinsdale's  administration  was  exceedingly  stringent.  There 
was  but  little  income  from  endowment  for  there  was  but 

little  endowment,   and   the  principal   in- 

The  Financial       come  was  from  the  receipts  from  students 

Condition.  for  tuition.    The  Board  would  not  allow 

any  debts  to  accumulate  and  the  receipts 
from  tuition  were  compelled  to  bear  the  burden  of  expenses. 
The  financial  struggle  in  the  College  was  not  altogether  pe- 
culiar for  the  country  during  this  period  passed  through  one 
of  the  most  terrific  financial  crises  in  its  history.  The  en- 
tire receipts  of  the  College  for  the  twelve  years  of  President 
Hinsdale's  administration  did  not  average  over  seven  thous- 
and dollars  a  year ;  and  out  of  this  every  expense  must  be 
paid.  As  the  President  was  obligated  out  of  the  annual  ap- 
propriation made  by  the  Board,  to  pay  the  teachers  and  other 
expenses,  it  often  left  a  very  small  amount  for  his  own  com- 
pensation.    In  his  report  for  1872  as  President  of  the  Col- 


336  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

lege  he  said :  "It  is  well  understood  by 
The  President's      the  Board  that  the  President  has  no  regu- 
Salarj.  Jaj-  salary.     The  Board  has  for  two  years 

appropriated  five  thousand  five  hundred 
($5,500)  dollars  per  year  to  defray  current  expenses,  and 
the  President  has  received  what  is  left  after  all  other  items 
of  expenditure  are  paid.  Last  year  his  compensation  was 
$1,135.46;  this  year  $1,056.46.  It  must  be  remarked,  how- 
ever, that  no  account  is  made  of  postage,  stationery  and  or- 
dinary traveling  expenses,  which  together  amount  to  a  con- 
siderable sum.  If  these  items  were  aggregated  and  sub- 
tracted from  the  nominal  salary  the  real  one  would  be  some- 
thing less  than  it  appears  to  be.  As  I  have  consented  to  all 
the  arrangements  of  the  Board  thus  far,  I  have  no  com- 
plaint to  offer  touching  the  past.  But  I  would  respectfully 
submit  to  the  Board  that  $1,056.46  is  an  inadequate  compen- 
sation for  the  duties  performed.  I  would  further  represent 
that  the  Board  should  fix  a  definite  salary  for  this  office,  or 
officer,  and  not  subject  him  to  the  humiliating  consciousness 
that  his  compensation  is  the  leavings." 

At  the  beginning  of  the  College  in  1867  Mr.  W.  J.  Ford 
had,  as  Financial  Agent,  received  a  promise  of  fifty  thous- 
and dollars  from  Mr.  Robert  Kerr  of  Marion,  O.,  for  endow- 
ment purposes.     This  was  the  first  large 
Lathrop  Cooley.      sum  ever  promised  to  the  permanent  en- 
dowment of  the  College.     In   1870  La- 
throp Cooley  was  employed  as  Financial  Agent,  a  position 
which  he  held  for  several  years.    Mr.  Cooley  was  quite  suc- 
cessful in  his  work.    Among  the  larger  sums  he  received  was 
seven  thousand  dollars  from    Mr.  Thomas  N.    Easton    of 
Hinckley,  O.    The  proceeds  of  this  sum  were  not  immedi- 
ately available  to  the  college.     Smaller  sums  were  received 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1S70-1S82.       237 

from  various  sources  which  aggregated  a  considerable  sum. 
The  contract  with  Mr.  Robert  Kerr  was  modified  so  that 
the  College  came  into  possession  of  thirty  thousand  dollars 
of  available  funds  from  that  source  during  this  period.  An 
effort  was  also  made  to  sell  scholarships  and  to  increase  the 
stock  of  the  College  which  resulted  in  considerable  success. 
Mr.  Cooley's  wide  acquaintance  with  the  Disciple  churches 
of  Northern  Ohio,  and  high  standing  as  a  preacher  among 
tliem,  enabled  him  to  press  the  claims  of  Hiram  as  no  one 
else  could.  In  becoming  a  preacher  he  did  not  lose  his  busi- 
ness sagacity  and  this  gave  him  great  influence  with  busi- 
ness men.  While  the  financial  condition  of  the  College  did 
not  improve  rapidly  the  business  methods  pursued  by  the 
Board  and  all  concerned  were  clear  and  clean.  From  year 
to  year  a  balance  sheet  of  the  College  was  presented  show- 
ing its  resources  and  liabilities  to  date.  One  of  them  is 
here  given — that  of  June  8,  1881 — which  represented  the 
College  resources  at  the  end  of  Mr.  Hinsdale's  administra- 
tion:  Real  estate,  $4,600;  buildings,  $17,500;  tabernacle, 
$1,500;  boarding  hall,  $10,000;  building  improvements, 
$2,312.16;  furniture,  $1,021  ;  museum,  $500;  library,  $1,000; 
endowment,  $50,000;  and  cash  in  hands  of  the  Finance 
Committee,  $61.96,  making  a  total  of  $88,495.12. 

In  June,  1879,  Alanson  Wilcox  was  employed  as  Finan- 
cial Agent  of  the  College,  a  position  he  held  for  several 
years  with  marked  ability  and  success.  The  reports  which 
he  made  to  the  Board  and  on  record  show 
Alanson  Wilcox,  that  he  was  vigilant  and  active  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  College.  The  "Ladies'  TTall" 
and  "Tabernacle"  were  built  and  for  these  he  had  nnirh 
to  do. 

The  annual  reports  of  President  Hinsdale  to  the  Board 
of  Trustees  reveal  the  condition  of  the  College,  his  own  anx- 


23S  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ieties  and  desires,  and  the  great  difficul- 
The  ties  in  the  pathway  of  its  progress.     In 

Annual  Reports      his  address  at  Hiram  June  22,  1900,  he 
of  President         spoke  of  the  "gloom  and  thick  darkness" 
Hinsdale.  jj^  which    he  Strove  to    keep  its    "lamp 

trimmed  and  burning."  To  cheer  the 
students  and  in  a  measure  lift  himself  above  the  "gloom"  he 
would  recite  stanzas  of  Ferguson's  poem,  the  "Forging  of 
the  Anchor,"  of  which  the  following  is  one  of  the  most  ap- 
propriate : 

"Leap  out,  leap  out,  my  masters !  leap  out,  and  lay  on  load  1 
Let's  forge  a  goodly  anchor — a  bower  thick  and  broad ; 
For  a  heart  of  oak  is  hanging  on  every  blow,  I  bode ; 
And  I  see  the  good  ship  riding,  all  in  a  perilous  road — 
The  low  reef  roaring  on  her  lea ;  the  roll  of  ocean  poured 
From  stem  to  stern,  sea  after  sea ;  the  main-mast  by  the 

board ; 
The  bulwarks  down  ;  the  rudder  gone ;  the  boats  stove  at 

the  chains ; 
But  courage  still,  brave  mariners — the  bower  yet  remains ! 
And  not  an  inch  to  flinch  he  deigns — save  when  ye  pitch  sky 

high ; 
Then  moves  his  head,  as  though  he  said,  'Fear  nothing — 
here  am  I !'  " 
In  his  report  in  1872  President  Hinsdale  said:  "I  think 
I  am  not  mistaken  in  saying  that  the  College  is  growing  in 
public  confidence  and  favor.     At  the  same  time,  however,  I 
do   not   look    for   any   striking  or    rapid 
growth.     There  are  probably  few  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  who  appreciate  the  difficulty  of  building 
up  a  college  in  Hiram.     Our  State  is  thickly  strewn  with 
colleges  and  the  number  is  constantly  increasing.     Graded 
schools  are  springing  up  in  every  village;  and  young  men 
well  qualified  to  teach  them  go  out  from  our  own  halls  to  re- 
ceive better  salaries  than  we  pay  our  professors.     The  place 
is  small,  inconvenient  of  access,  not  a  cheap  place  to  live  in, 


B.  A,  Hinsdale's  ADMINISTRATION,  1870-1SS2.       239 

destitute  of  social  attractions  and  many  conveniences.  We 
are  rowing  against  wind  and  tide.  Under  the  circumstances 
nothing  can  keep  up  the  reputation  of  the  Institution  but 
good  instruction  and  wise  management.  The  Faculty  are 
doing  their  utmost  to  meet  the  demands  upon  them,  which 
none  understand  better  than  themselves." 

Mr.  Hinsdale's  report  in  1874  showed  "a  large  falling 
off  in  the  patronage  of  the  Institution  as  compared  with  the 
^Q^,  previous      year,      and      the      diminished 

attendance  was  followed  by  a  cor- 
respondingly diminished  income  from  tuitions."  The 
total  outstanding  obligations  for  that  year  for  current 
expenses  were  $3,234,  to  meet  which  the  total  resources 
were  $2,285.  This  condition  of  things  gave  the  President 
great  anxiety,  notwithstanding  he  could  say:  "The  interior 
history  of  the  College  for  the  year  has  been  highly  satisfac- 
tory to  the  Faculty,  and  I  believe  to  the  great  body  of  stu- 
dents. In  respect  to  devotion  to  work,  discipline,  moral  tone, 
etc.,  the  behavior  of  our  students  has  been  all  we  have  any 
right  to  expect.  In  no  previous  year  since  my  administra- 
tion began  have  the  results,  all  things  considered,  been  so 
satisfactory.  By  examining  the  catalogue  the  Board  will 
see  that  the  falling  off  of  students  has  been  almost  wholly 
confined  to  the  lower  grades  of  study." 

His  report  for  1875  was  one  of  the  most  carefully  pre- 
pared of  President  Hinsdale's  annual  reports.  In  detail  it 
touched  every  point  which  to  him  seemed  important.  His 
comprehensive  grasp  of  College  condi- 
tions in  Hiram  and  elsewhere  was  clear 
and  convincing.  Among  other  conclusions  to  which  he  ar- 
rived he  said :  "We  cannot  materially  increase  the  number 
of  our  students  except  in  two  ways  :  First,  by  enlarging  our 
college  classes.  This  is  greatly  to  be  desired,  but  will  be 
found  to  be  very  difficult.  It  can  only  be  done  by  elevating 
the  character  of  the  College,  at  least  in  the  popular  estima- 
tion.    Second,   that   any   considerabic   enlargement  of   our 


340  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

work  must  be  in  the  field  of  common  Eng-lish,  and  High 
School  studies.  Here,  too,  we  are  met  by  a  difficulty,  the 
cost  of  our  education.  If  this  could  be  reduced  a  few  dol- 
lars per  term,  I  am  satisfied  we  could  exhibit  an  increase  of 
students.  Until  that  is  done,  I  am  satisfied  we  cannot  experct 
any  material  growth  in  that  direction.  If  the  business  of 
the  country  improves,  all  schools  may  expect  to  feel  its  re- 
sults, and  we  with  the  rest;  but  no  improvement  in  general 
business  can  carry  us  to  our  former  level." 

Concerning  himself  he  said :  "During  the  last  year  I 
have  received  unmistakable  warnings  that  I  cannot  press 
my  powers  with  safety  any  farther,  nay,  that  I  am  now  an 
overworked  man.  I  ought  to  be  free  to  respond  to  occa- 
sional calls  from  the  churches,  to  go  as  I  am  able,  here  and 
there.  My  estimate  of  my  influence  upon  men,  with  whom 
I  am  not  immediately  connected,  is  humble ;  but  I  am  san- 
guine enough  to  think  that,  in  this  way,  I  could  be  of  some 
service  to  the  College.  What  is  more,  I  have  some  cher- 
ished plans  of  literary  labor  that  I  am  anxious  to  prosecute 
to  completion,  wdiich  I  can  never  do  so  long  as  I  am  over- 
weighted as  at  present." 

The  year  1876  revealed  no  improvement  and  in  the  par- 
ticular of  patronage  and  tuition  income  was  a  depressing 
one.  The  number  of  students  had  de- 
creased  from  235  in  1875  to  179  in  1876, 
and  the  receipts  from  $3,409,  in  1875  to  $2,208  in  1876. 
These  facts  gave  a  gloomy  tinge  to  the  report  of  that  year. 

The  report  for   1877  was  not  more  encouraging  than 

those  that  had  immediately  preceded  it.     The  interior  work 

of  the  College  had  been  good  and  the  student  life  almost 

unexceptionable.     But  the   student  bodv 

1S77 

had  been  reduced  from   179  in  1876,  to 
137  in  1877,  while  the  College  receipts  had  decreased  in  the 


B.  A   Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-18S3.       241 

same  time  from  $2,208  to  $2,058.  The  teachers  had  "had 
only  a  mouthful  of  pay  each  during  the  year,"  and  some  of 
them  had  been  compelled  to  contract  debts  which  were  al- 
ready becoming  embarrassing.  Of  this  condition  of  the 
College  President  Hinsdale  said:  "In  my  opinion  the  Col- 
lege is  in  a  critical  financial  condition.  What  shall  be  done, 
if  anything,  the  Board  must  determine.  The  closest  econ- 
omy has  been  practiced,  and  the  expenditures  for  the  year 
have  been  kept  considerably  below  the  amount  contemplated 
by  the  Board.  There  can  be  no  material  reduction,  unless 
the  whole  scale  of  the  Institution  is  cut  down ;  that  would 
involve  the  securing  of  a  cheaper,  and,  therefore,  a  new  Fac- 
ulty. Whether  that,  even,  would  be  financial  wisdom  in  the 
long  run,  is  a  question  to  determine.  *  *  *  *  j  jiave 
only  one  thing  more  to  present,  and  that  is  this :  It  seems  to 
me  that  there  is  a  great  want  of  public  interest  in  Hiram. 
The  general  public  may  be  assumed  to  be  as  indifferent  to 
Hiram  as  to  any  other  school ;  but  there  is  a  body  of  people 
who  ought  to  feel  more  interest  and  responsibility  than  they 
do.  Of  course,  I  mean  the  people  who  planted  the  Institu- 
tion— The  Disciples  of  Ohio.  Whether  anything  can  be 
done  to  awaken  more  interest  and  a  greater  feeling  of  re- 
sponsibility, perhaps  the  Board  will  do  well  to  consider." 

In  1878  there  was  a  gleam  of  light  through  the  clouds. 
The  patronage  of  the  College  had  increased  by  a  gain  of  31 
per  cent,  in  different  students,  and  the  gain  of  cash  tuition 
receipts  about  26  per  cent.  There  was  an 
unusual  warmth  in  the  report  for  that 
year  and  all  concerned  felt  its  influence.  The  position  that 
J  firam  College  held  among  similar  institutions  was  consid- 
ered creditable  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  large  place 
it  filled  as  in  the  quality  of  the  work  it  had  done.  Of  this 
President  Hinsdale  said:  "Educational  work  is  very  gener- 


242  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

ally  undervalued,  especially  when  done  on  a  small  scale. 
Large  numbers  and  great  sums  are  thought  by  the  majority 
of  men  to  measure  the  value  of  educational  work.  I  protest 
against  this  standard  as  delusive  and  mischievous,  and 
affirm  that  the  quality  of  what  is  done  even  more  than  the 
quantity  is  to  be  considered.  But  even  on  the  score  of  sta- 
tistics our  showing  is  not  a  mean  one.  The  Institution  at 
Hiram  became  a  College  with  the  year  1867-8.  Since  then 
there  have  been  enrolled  on  her  catalogues  121  preparatory 
students,  124  freshmen,  104  sophomores,  57  juniors,  and  47 
seniors.  The  grand  enrollment  counting  by  years  has  been 
2,719,  or  an  average  of  247  per  year.  How  many  different 
students  there  have  been  in  the  eleven  years  cannot  be  told 
without  more  labor  than  I  can  give  to  the  subject." 

In  1879  the  outlook  was  not  so  hopeful  for  the  College, 
and  President  Hinsdale  was  greatly  discouraged  and  about 
ready  to  give  up.  The  attendance  was  growing  less  and  the 
deficits  for  current  expenses  were  grow- 
ing larger.  The  Board  found  it  neces- 
sary to  still  further  reduce  the  teaching  force  and  to  cut  the 
salaries  of  the  already  overworked  President  and  Professors 
down  to  a  sum  which  w^as  a  humiliation  for  them  to  accept. 
The  President's  report  for  1879  was  as  sharp  as  a  surgeon's 
scalpel.  He  reviewed  the  condition  of  the  Institution  from 
its  beginning  in  1850  to  the  present  and  showed  that  the  at- 
tendance of  students  had  gradually  declined  from  1853 
when  the  attendance  reached  529.  to  1879  when  there  were 
only  169.  The  Institution  had  been  in  existence  for  28  years 
counting  to  1878.  Dividing  the  28  years  into  four  equal 
periods  the  average  yearly  attendance  was  as  follows:  1850 
to  1857,  4504-7;  1857  to  1864,  411  1-7;  1864  to  1871, 
291  1-7;  1871  to  1878,  227.  Concerning  these  figures  Presi- 
dent Hinsdale  said :   "When  a  school  reaches  its  climax   in 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1882.       243 

three  years,  when  its  average  attendance  the  second  seven 
years  is  39  less  than  the  first  seven,  the  third  seven  120  less 
than  the  second,  and  the  fourth  seven  64  less  than  the  third, 
it  is  idle  to  seek  to  explain  the  facts  by  referring  them  to  ac- 
cidental circumstances ;  there  is  at  work  some  persistent  and 
powerful  tendency  from  first  to  last."  He  then  proceeded 
to  give  what,  in  his  judgment,  were  the  elements  that  had 
produced  this  tendency: 

1.  "The  unfortunate  geographical  location  of  the  Col- 
lege as  things  have  turned  out. 

2.  Unfortunate  economic  and  social  conditions  at 
Hiram. 

3.  The  decay  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the  public, 
especially  the  Disciple  churches. 

4.  The  enormous  development  of  the  common  schools. 

5.  The  decline  of  the  rural  population  in  the  north- 
eastern counties  of  Ohio. 

6.  The  ever-increasing  competition  of  academical  and 
collegiate  schools. 

7.  The  relative  failure  of  the  school  to  keep  up  with 
the  times  in  mechanical  equipment.  The  machinery  for  illus- 
trative study  at  Hiram  is  no  better  than  25  years  ago.  With- 
in that  time,  however,  immense  progress  has  been  made  all 
around  us.  These  forces  have  acted  so  powerfully  and  so 
constantly  that,  had  it  not  been  for  the  devotion  and  sacri- 
fice of  a  small  number  of  persons,  ere  this  Hiram  would  have 
been  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  forces  that  have  acted  since 
1853,  persistent  as  gravitation,  will  draw  Hiram  nearer  and 
nearer  the  earth  unless  something  is  done  to  counteract 
them.  Something  must  be  done  for  Hiram  or  Hiram  must 
die ;  at  most  it  can  do  no  more  than  live  on  in  a  starved  and 
dwindling  condition.  To  me  after  as  profound  attention  as 
I  am  capable  of  giving  to  any  subject  this  is  an  incontro- 


244  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

vertible  fact.  If  the  name  College  could  be  dropped  it 
would  be  well ;  but  probably  it  will  be  necessary  to  retain 
that  to  hold  the  funds.  A  humble  school  with  a  cheap  corps 
of  teachers  could  probably  be  kept  up  at  Hiram  for  many 
years ;  but  to  think  of  supporting  a  College  on  $3,000  or 
$4,000  a  year  is  simply  farcical.  For  nine  years  I  have 
worked  with  might  and  with  main,  making  reasonable  allow- 
ances for  human  infirmity.  I  have  done  my  best  to  make 
good  scholars  at  Hiram ;  to  make  good  men  and  women  of 
our  pupils ;  and  to  give  the  College  standing  abroad.  I  can 
do  no  more.  I  confess  I  am  discouraged.  The  conscious- 
ness that  the  work  is  becoming  less  on  my  hands,  and  that 
I  am  often  blamed  as  the  cause  of  the  decline,  weighs  on  my 
spirits.  I  could  work  on  with  heart  and  with  hope,  if  I 
could  see  a  prospect  of  future  enlargement.  But  unless  I 
can  see  some  larger  hope  in  Hiram  than  I  have  seen  in  the 
last  few  years,  then  I  must  begin  to  lay  my  plans  with  refer- 
ence to  some  other  work." 

In  1880  President  Hinsdale's  report  was  more  hopeful. 
Some  improvements  had  been  made  in  buildings  begun,  and 
provisions  made  for  the  better  accommodation  of  students. 

The  attendance  had  been  increased  by  the 
1880.  addition   of   40   students.       'Tutting   all 

things  together,  the  outlook  is  to  me 
more  hopeful  than  for  many  years.  For  obvious  reasons 
Hiram  can  never  become  a  foremost  name  in  educational 
works,  but  I  am  sure  that  a  general  co-operation  of  its 
friends  would  add  considerably  to  its  facilities,  and  add  to 
its  patronage." 

The  report  for  1881  is  hopeful.  The  attendance  had  not 
sensibly  diminished  from  the  year  before  and  the  College 
receipts  had  been  somewhat  larger.    By  the  election  of  Mr. 

Garfield  as  President  of  the  United  States 
^^®^-  in  1880  the  name  of  the  College  had  un- 

expectedly "become  a  foremost  name  in  educational  works" 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1882.       2^^ 

and  among  educational  institutions.  A  new  boarding  hall 
had  been  completed  and  furnished  and  a  commodious  taber- 
nacle had  been  built  for  the  larger  gatherings  on  the  Hill. 

In  1882  President  Hinsdale  made  his  last  report  as  Pres- 
ident of  the  College.    He  said :  "The  College  year  now  clos- 
ing has  been  a  year  of    ordinary  prosperity    in  all  depart- 
ments of  our  work.    Upon  the  whole  the 
1882 

impetus  that  was  gained  in  1880  has  been 

maintained,  but  no  new  one  has  been  received.  In  respect 
to  instruction  and  discipline  nothing  in  particular  needs  to 
be  said.  The  usual  efforts  have  been  made  by  students  and 
by  instructors,  and  with  the  usual  results." 

On  the  question  of  "Accommodation  for  students,"  he 
said :  "There  has  been  much  talk  about  increasing  the  at- 
tendance at  Hiram.  I  would  call  the  attention  of  the  Board 
to  the  fact  that  there  is  no  room  in  Hiram  for  more  students 
than  we  have  had  for  the  last  two  or  three  years.  With 
150  students  Hiram  is  full  to  her  utmost  capacity.  I  would 
suggest  that  the  Board  consider  the  question  whether  they 
can  do  anything  themselves,  or  by  stimulating  private  en- 
terprise to  improve  the  accommodations  for  students." 

These  paragraphs  from  the  annual  reports  of  President 

Hinsdale   reveal   many   facts   concerning  the  inner  life  of 

Hiram  College  during  this  period.     Whether  he  probed  to 

the  bottom  of  the  case  or  not,  he  made  an 

What  These  honest  effort  to  find  the  real  difficulties 

Reports  Reveal,      and  manfully  and  fearlessly  to  meet  them. 

Though  he  did  not  reach  the  measure  of 

success  he  desired  in  bringing  the  Institution  out  of  the 

swaddling  bands  of  the  old  Academy  and  clothing  it  with 

the  real  garments  of  a  College,  yet  he  succeeded  in  laying 

foundations,  the  strength  of  which  is  felt  to  this  day. 

At  its  meeting  June  12,  1879,  the  Board  of  Trustees 


246  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

unanimously  adopted  the  following  reso- 
A  New  lutions  presented   by  a   Committee  on  a 

Boarding  Hall.       Boarding  Hall  consisting  of  C.  E,  Henry, 
Harmon  Austin,  and  Dr,  W.  S.  Streator. 
I     "We  would  recommend  the  erection  of  a  moderate- 
sized  building,  the  cost  thereof  not  to  exceed  live  thousand 
dollars,  suitable  for  enlargement. 

2.  That  three  thousand  dollars  of  available  funds  in 
the  hands  of  the  Finance  Committee  may  be  used  for  the 
erection  of  said  building,  the  sum  to  be  refunded  to  the 
Finance  Committee  from  special  subscriptions  to  this  pur- 
pose after  the  building  is  paid  for. 

3.  That  the  money  received  from  rental  of  rooms  in 
said  building  shall  be  first  applied  to  the  payment  of  interest 
<m  the  three  thousand  dollars. 

4.  That  all  notes  or  subscriptions  now  in  the  hands 
of  the  College  Treasurer  be  collected  and  applied  as  far  as 
practicable  toward  the  building  as  a  part  of  the  three  thous- 
and dollars. 

5.  That  vigorous  efforts  be  made  to  raise  at  once  by 
subscription  the  requisite  amount  to  pay  the  remaining  two 
thousand,  and  that  there  be  no  relaxation  of  effort  until  the 
whole  amount  of  the  cost  of  the  building  is  raised,  and  the 
money  advanced  by  the  Finance  Committee  be  returned  to 
them  for  investment." 

The  ladies  of  Hiram  to  the  number  of  45,  through  Mrs. 
Hinsdale,  Mrs.  Hank,  Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Mrs.  Ellis  had 
presented  an  earnest  petition  to  the  Board  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  building  "so  built  and  furnished  as  to  accommodate 
a  large  Boarding  Club,  and  also,  have  a  certain  number  of 
furnished  rooms  to  rent  to  students." 

They  also  promised  that  if  the  Board  would  "build  or 
cause  to  be  built  such  a  house,  we  will  undertake  to  furnish 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870- 18S3.        247 

it  from  top  to  bottom  with  all  appliances  needed  for  its  suc- 
cessful management ;  and  we  will  appoint  from  our  number 
an  Advisory  Board  to  act  with  the  College  authorities  in  its 
management  after  it  is  opened." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  what  is  now  known  in  Hiram 
as  "Bowler  Hall." 

The   new  hall  was  located  on  "the   Smith  property," 

which  consisted  of  a  frame  house  and  five  acres  of  land,  and 

which  formerlv  belonged  to  John  Smith,  the  father  of  C.  C. 

Smith,     now     Assistant     Corresponding 

,.    '  Secretary  of  the  American  Christian  Mis- 

Property.  •' 

sionary  Society.  The  Hall  was  put  up 
according  to  plans  and  specifications  drawn  by 
"Heard  and  Smith,"  architects  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
The  work  was  pushed  forward  with  vigor  so 
tliat  that  in  June,  1880,  the  Building  Committee  pre- 
sented the  finished  product  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  a 
total  cost  of  $8,935.78.  The  committee  having  charge  of 
the  building  and  other  improvements  connected  with  it, 
consisted  of  John  J.  Ryder,  Alvah  Udall,  and  R.  Stanhope. 
In  the  conclusion  of  their  very  clear,  comprehensive  and 
intelligent  report  they  say:  "It  will  be  seen  that  this  gross 
amount  considerably  exceeds  the  expenditures  originally 
contemplated.  The  explanation  is  not  that  the  original 
work  cost  more  than  was  expected,  but  that  much  more 
work'  has  been  done.  In  the  first  place  the  purchase  of  the 
Smith  place,  furnaces,  water  in  the  house,  side-walks,  etc., 
were  not  included  in  the  estimates.  Your  committee  beg 
leave  to  say,  that  they  have  never  gone  beyond  the  letter  of 
their  instructions  save  in  cases  where  it  seemed  necessary 
to  do  so.  The  Smith  lot  and  house  will  be  sources  of  in- 
come. Two  terms  experience  with  the  Hall  shows  that  if 
properly  managed,  it  will  return  a  fair  interest  on  the  money 


248  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

the  Board  has  put  into  it,  and  that  it  will  be  a  valuable 
auxiliary  to  the  college." 

The  building  of  the  Boarding  Hall  with  its  furnish- 
ings at  a  cost  of  about  $10,000,  and  of  the  Tabernacle  at  a 
cost  of  $1,500,  added  greatly  to  the  accommodations  of  the 
college.  It  forecasted  also  what  could  be  easily  done  of  a 
like  character  when  the  determination  to  do  it  had  been 
fixed. 

The  Financial  Agent,  Alanson  Wilcox,  had  been  un- 
tiring in  his  efforts  to  increase  the  interest  in  Hiram  and  to 
raise  money  for  the  new  buildings,  and 
Financial  Agent,  for  Other  purposes.  Through  his  efforts 
the  attendance  of  students  had  been  sensi- 
bly increased.  A  large  territory  was  traversed  into  which 
the  "enthusiasm  for  Hiram"  was  carried  by  the  agent.  In 
his  canvass  he  found  some  of  the  elements  which  had  worked 
against  the  progress  and  success  of  the  College.  He  found 
the  Disciples,  the  natural  patrons  of  the  college,  were  not 
wealthy  and  the  times  were  hard ;  that  these  same  Disciples 
"seemed  to  lack  a  spirit  of  liberality  in  educational  mat- 
ters ;"  and  that  the  ministry  among  the  Disciples  were  not 
specially  interested  in  the  college  work.  Much  good  in  many 
ways  resulted  from  Mr.  Wilcox's  labors.  The  Board  of 
Trustees  appreciating  what  had  been  done,  and  the  small 
cost  of  the  year's  canvass,  gave  "a.  vote  of  thanks  to  the 
agent,  Alanson  Wilcox,  for  his  untiring  zeal  and  success- 
ful labor  in  the  interests  of  the  college,  and  especially  for 
the  unlooked  for  meagre  traveling  expenses  to  the  college 
during  his  year's  service." 

With  the  completion  of  the  Boarding  Hall  and  Taber- 
nacle, Alvah  Udall,  Esq.,  practically  closed 
Alvah  Udall,Esq.    his   long  and    faithful   service   in   behalf 
of  Hiram   College,   though   he  remained 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  until   his   death  in 


CUl-IJ-lGE   KACL'1-TV  IN   J9I 0. 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1882.        249 

1887.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  in  1854  and 
served  continuously  for  a  third  of  a  century,  and  from  1856 
to  1880  he  was  President  of  that  body.  On  account  of  fail- 
ing health  and  lengthening  years  he  resigned  as  President 
in  1880.  His  resignation  was  accepted  with  sincere  regret 
in  the  following  appreciative  terms : — "Resolved,  That  this 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram  College  have  a  high  appreci- 
ation of  the  faithful  and  valuable  services  of  the  retiring 
President  of  the  Board,  Alvah  Udall,  Esq.,  who  has  with 
untiring  fidelity  served  in  that  capacity  for  twenty-four 
years,  giving  to  it  the  best  energies  of  his  business  experi- 
ence and  counsels,  and  that  we  hereby  tender  our  thanks  to 
him  for  the  same." 

Mr.  Udall  was  an  interesting  character  and  a  man  of 
marked  personality.     Never  a  member  of  the  church  he  was 

a  lover  of  good  men  and  a  willing  helper 
g,   ^ ,  of  Christian  people.     He  was  honorable 

in  all  his  business  relations,  calm  and 
judicial  in  his  estimate  of  men  and  things,  dignified  in  his 
intercourse  with  society,  a  lover  of  his  own  family,  and  in 
every  way  merited  and  received  the  esteem  of  all  classes  of 
people.  He  was  born  September  14,  1807,  the  eighth  child 
in  a  family  of  thirteen  children.  His  father,  Samuel  Udall, 
came  to  Hiram  in  the  winter  of  18 18  from  Hartford,  Ver- 
mont. He  came  with  his  family  all  the  way  on  sleds.  It 
may  be  only  a  legend,  but  it  is  said :  "That  Col.  Daniel 
Tilden,  who  crossed  the  Delaware  with  Washington,  came 
to  Hiram  a  little  earlier,  and  with  others  of  its  proprietors 
who  were  'Free  Masons'  named  the  township  Hiram,  after 
Hiram  Abif,  King  of  Tyre." 

At  the  age  of  22  Alvah  Udall  was  elected  Clerk  of 
Hiram  township.  He  was  afterward  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  served  for  fifteen  years.     He  was  also  Assistant 


250  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM   COLLE'iE. 

Revenue  Collector  for  the  Government  for  eight  years.  In 
1 83 1  he  was  married  to  Phoebe  Ann  Udall,  the  marriage 
ceremony  being  performed  by  Joshua  R.  Giddings,  Esq. 
Mrs.  Udall  was  a  noble  woman — a  Christian  in  name  and 
in  fact.  The  Udall  home  was  like  Paradise  to  many  of  the 
earlier  students  at  Hiram.  In  the  maple-sugar  season  the 
old  "sugar-camp"  north  of  the  house  was  the  place  for  an 
annual  rendezvous  of  teachers  and  students,  where  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Udall  delighted  in  their  entertainment.  Mr.  Udall 
was  one  of  the  earliest  friends  of  the  Institution  at  Hiram 
and  his  influence  had  great  weight  in  the  location  of  the 
school.  The  brick  for  the  old  building  were  made  on  his 
farm  east  of  the  center  and  he  delivered  them  at  the  build- 
ing place  for  $2.25  per  thousand.  He  was  deeply  interested 
in  every  movement  toward  higher  education.  When  Mr. 
W.  J.  Ford  was  chosen  Financial  Agent  he  wanted  to  be 
sure  that  he  was  the  right  man  for  the  place,  and  with  his 
wife  drove  from  Hiram  to  Bazetta  to  hear  for  himself.  He 
had  fine  qualifications  as  a  presiding  officer  of  the  Board  ele- 
ments much  needed  in  the  earlier  days  of  Hiram.  He  was 
always  ready  in  his  rulings  and  considerate  of  the  feelings 
of  his  associates.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  rock  on 
which  many  of  the  interests  of  the  Institution  leaned,  and 
in  whose  shadow  many  of  its  friends  were  refreshed.  When 
Mr.  Ford  returned  from  "the  front,"  General  Garfield  said 
to  him:  "Report  to  Squire  Udall  for  instructions,"  and 
Mr.  Udall  said,  "Keep  the  field  of  the  school  at  home  open, 
until  the  boys  come  again."  Hiram  owes  much  to  him  both 
for  the  "Eclectic  Institute"  and  for  Hiram  College,  and  his 
name  will  be  found  written  large  on  its  walls  and  in  the 
first  fifty  years  of  its  history.  He  died  May  2,  1887,  at  the 
age  of  fourscore.  The  Board  of  Trustees  took  suitable 
action  on  his  death  and  placed  on  record  an  appreciative 
tribute  to  his  memory. 


B.  A.  Hinsdale's  administration,  1870-1S82.       251 


Trustees  of  this 
Period. 

1870-1. 


The  Board  of  Trustees  during  Presi- 
dent Hinsdale's  administration  was  com- 
posed at  the  beginning  of  the  following 
persons : — Judge  D.  W.  Canfield,*  W. 
J.  Ford,  Charles  B.  Lockwood,  Thomas 
W.  Phillips,  J.  H.  Rhodes,  Alvah  Udall,  B.  F. 
Waters,  John  F.  Whitney,  Harmon  Austin,  James 
A.  Garfield,  Hartwell  Ryder,  and  Abram  Teachout. 
These  were  somewhat  changed  year  by  year,  though  the 
larger  number  served  to  the  close.  In  1873  the  Board  of 
Trustees  was  enlarged  to  twenty-four  members.  The  fol- 
lowing names  will  mark  the  changes  during  this  time : 

1871-2.  Freeman  E.  Udall,  and  Dr.  Worthy 

S.  Streator. 
1872-3.  F.    W.    Andrews,    H.    L.    Morgan, 

Thomas   N.   Easton,  J.    M.   Family,   R. 
M.  Hank,  A.    S.Hayden,  J.  J.  Ryder,  A.  J.    Squire,  Albert 
Allen    George  A.   Baker,   Lathrop  Cooley,  A.  J,   Marvin. 
1873-4.  William  Bowler,  John  T.  Phillips. 

1874-5.  No  change. 

1875-6.  Dr.  J.  P.  Robison,  W.  P.  Hudson. 

1876-7.  Charles  E.Henry,  Charles  W.  Hemry. 

1877-8.  Cyrus  Ryder. 

1878-9.  Judge  H.  C.  White. 

1879-80.  O.  G.  Kent,  R.  Stanhope. 

1880-1.  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  Andrew  Squire. 

1881-2.  No  change. 

The  steadiness  with  which  the  Trustees  held  their 
places  had  much  to  do  in  keeping  the  affairs  of  the  college 
in  a  favorable  condition  though  its  growth  for  numerous 
reasons  was  necessarily  slow. 


*Judge  Canfield  died  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Chardon,  O.,  De- 
cember 29,  1900,  at  the  age  of  72  years. 


252  HISTORY    OP    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

During   the   period    of   his   administration   Mr.    Hins- 
dale's endurance  seemed  to  be  inexhaustible.     In  addition 

n      .,     .  to    his    administrative   duties   he   taught 

President  ° 

Hinsdale's  classes    in   history,    philosophy,    rhetoric, 

Literary  and  literature,  gave  frequent  public  Icc- 

°    •  tures,   preached   on    Sundays,   and   made 

numerous  contributions  to  the  press.  His  first  books  were 
of  an  entirely  religious  character.  His  first  book  published 
while  at  Hiram  , appeared  in  1872,  on  "The  Genuineness  and 
Authenticity  of  the  Gospels ;"  his  second  a  monogram  on 
"The  Jewish  Christian  Church,"  in  1878;  a  third  in  1879  on 
"Ecclesiastical  Tradition."  Much  interested  in  1880  in  the 
success  of  General  Garfield  for  President  of  the  United 
States,  at  the  request  of  the  National  Republican  Committee 
he  wrote  a  "Campaign  Text  Book"  besides  making  numer- 
ous speeches  in  favor  of  Mr.  Garfield.  On  the  death  of  the 
President  he  wrote  in  1882  "President  Garfield  and  Edu- 
cation," a  memorial  volume,  and  in  1883,  before  he  finally 
left  Hiram,  he  collated  General  Garfield's  speeches  and 
addresses  in  two  large  octavo  volumes.  All  of  these  works 
show  wide  reading,  deep  and  comprehensive  study  and 
thought,  and  that  honesty  of  purpose  and  expression  which 
always  characterized  his  literary  endeavors. 

But  the  time  had  come,  in  his  judgment,  and  it  is  only 

fair  to  say,  in  the  judgment  of  many  of  his  best  friends  for 

Close  of  ^^^^  work  at  liiram  to  close.    He  had  done 

President         all  that  he  could  for  Hiram,  and  Hiram 

Hinsdale's  had  done  all  that  it  could  for  him.  He 
Administration,  j^.^^  worked  heroically  towards  an  end— 
a  distinct  purpose  for  the  college,  and  his  work  had  not  been 
without  success.  He  had  not  accomplished  all  that  he  de- 
sired to  accomplish,  but  all,  under  the  conditions  that  pre- 


B.  A.  hixsdale's  administration,  1870-1882.        253 

vailed,  that  could  reasonably  be  expected.*  His  pulses  were 
set  toward  a  larger  field  wherein  he  would  not  be  disturbed 
by  fitful  finances,  or  burdened  with  the  almost  countless 
details  of  college  administration. 

From  Hiram  he  went  to  Cleveland,  where  for  four 
years  he  gave  himself,  as  Superintendent  of  the  Public 
Schools  of  that  city,  to  the  study  of  great  educational  prob- 
lems, from  the  standpoint  of  the  Public  School  System.  His 
annual  reports  won  attention  from  educators  of  the  highest 
character  and  accomplishments  throughout  the  State  and 
Nation.  His  contributions  to  educational  journals,  and  his 
public  addresses  on  educational  topics  brought  him  into  the 
front  rank,  where  he  remained  easily  to  the  close  of  his  life. 

In  1888  he  was  elected  to  the  Chair  of  "The  Science 
and  The  Art  of  Teaching"  in  the  University  of  Michigan 
and  entered  upon  his  labors  at  the  University  in  February 
of  that  year.  Here  he  remained,  rising  higher  every  year 
in  the  estimation  of  his  associates,  in  an  almost  unbroken 


♦President  Hinsdale's  formal  resignation  of  the  Presidency  of 
Hiram  College  was  received  by  the  Board  of  Trustees,  May  3,  1883: 
"Gentlemen:  I  deem  it  fitting,  if  not  necessary,  to  resign  formally 
the  office  to  which  you  elected  me  July  1,  1870,  the  Presidency  of 
Hiram  College,  said  resignation  to  take  effect  at  the  close  of  the 
commencement  exercises  at  Hiram,  June  14  next.  The  reasons  that 
impelled  me  to  eever  my  practical  connection  with  the  College  last 
year,  as  1  now  sever  my  formal  connection,  which  arc  many,  need 
not  here  be  recited;  but  I  am  happy  in  being  able  to  say,  want  of 
good  understanding  with  you  was  not  one  of  them.  So  far  from  it, 
in  now  laying  down  this  office,  the  duties  of  which  I  strove  to  fulfill 
for  twelve  years,  I  cannot  forbear  placing  upon  record  my  generous 
appreciation  of  and  thankfulness  for  the  confidence  and  support  that 
you  have  always  given  me.  No  man  in  such  a  position  could  rely 
upon  a  Board  more  fully  than  I  always  have  relied  upon  you  for  co- 
operation and  strength  in  whatever  could  be  made  to  appear  at  once 
reasonable  and  right.  In  so  doing  I  hope  you  have  found  some 
reward  in  the  results  that  have  followed  our  joint  efforts  to  make  the 
College  strong  and  useful.  Hoping  that  all  your  future  efforts  in  the 
same  direction  may  be  abundantly  blessed,  I  am, 

V^-ry  truly, 

B.  A.  Hinsdale,  President  of  Hiram  College." 


254  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

service,  until  the  "silver  cord  was  loosed,  the  golden  bowl 
broken,  and  the  pitcher  broken  at  the  fountain"  November 
29,  1900. 

The  college  had  now  reached  a  crisis  and  its  most  stead- 
fast and  far-seeing  friends  were  unable    to    forecast    its 
future.     It  had  won  the  name  and  rank 

„  ,,        .  -  .         of  college  but  whether  it  would  be  able 
College  Affairs.  ° 

to  carry  it  with  honor  was  a  question.  Its 
oldest,  ablest,  and  most  consecrated  sons  and  daughters  had 
until  now  filled  its  highest  plaoes  and  led  its  "foremost 
files."  From  now  onward  its  fortunes  must  be  trusted 
mainly  to  those  who  called  other  Institutions  Alma  Mater, 
and  to  whom  the  early  struggles  and  traditions  of  Hiram 
were  unknown  as  personal  experiences. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Hiram  College. — A  Crisis  and  How  It  Was  Met. 
1883-1888. 

"Where  McGregor  sits  is  the  head  of  the  table,"  and  if 
he  has  sat  there  long  it  is  difficult  for  another  to  take  his 
place.     The   resignation  of  President  Hinsdale,   who  had 

The  Old  occupied  the  place  so  long,  and  had  ini- 

Traditions  pressed  some  marks  indelibly  on  the  col- 

to  the  lege,  laid  a  great  burden  on  the  Board  of 

Front.  Trustees  in  the  selection  of  his  successor. 

He  had  advanced  its  standard  much  beyond  the  traditions 
of  the  "Old  Eclectic."  And  whether  there  should  be  a  re- 
treat from  the  point  gained,  or  an  advance  was  the  question. 
At  the  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  where  Charles  P.  Bowler, 
a  Hiram  student,  gave  up  his  life,  a  part  of  the  brigade  com- 
manded by  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  had  gotten  quite  in  advance 
of  their  comrades  in  a  seemingly  perilous  position,  and  the 
Division  Commander,  seeing  the  situation,  commanded  that 
the  colors  should  be  brought  back.  General  Hayes,  the 
Brigade  Commander,  with  better  knowledge  of  the  real  con- 
dition of  affairs,  and  unwilling  to  beat  a  retreat,  called  out 
in  tones  that  thrilled  the  hearts  of  the  men,  "Bring  the  men 
up  to  the  colors !"  In  reaching  the  rank  now  held  by  the 
college  some  elements  which  an  institution  depending  for 
its  support  on  the  patronage  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  must 
not  ignore,  had  been,  in  a  measure,  left  behind,  and  the  time 
had  now  come  to  bring  them  up  to  where  the  college  colors 
had  been  carried. 


*5^  HlSluRY    OK    HIKAM    COLLEGE. 

Some  of  the  friends  of  the  college  clearly  recognized  the 
necessities  of  the  hour,  and  June  7.  1882,  the  Board  of  Trus- 

Special  ^^^^  placed  on  record  the  following  Pre- 

Bibiical  amble  and  Resolutions :     "IVJiercas,   Re- 

Instiuction.  ligious  instruction  is  a  most  desirable  part 

of  education,  and  in  accordance  with  the  ideas  of  the  found- 
ers of  this  Institution  ;  and, 

Whereas,  It  is  necessary  that  our  Financial  Agent 
should  be  aided  in  his  endeavors  to  present  the  interests  of 
this  Institution  to  the  Disciple  churches  of  Ohio,  therefore 

Resolved,  That  there  should  be  maintained  a  high  de- 
gree of  religious  interest  in  the  college ;  That  a  suitable 
amount  of  Bible  study  should  be  made  a  part  of  the  college 
course ;  That  classes  should  be  provided  for  those  desiring 
special  instruction ;  That  the  Financial  Agent  be  requested 
to  give  especial  attention  to  the  matter  of  raising  funds  for 
endowing  a  special  chair  of  religious  literature,  and  that  the 
Board  pledge  the  churches  of  Ohio  to  establish  a  chair  for 
this  purpose  as  soon  as  funds  can  be  raised  or  secured  so 
to  do." 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  held  in  Cleveland 
March  15,  1883,  on  motion  of  C.  B.  Lockwood,  Bailey  S. 
Election  of  Dean    was    elected    Professor    and    Vice 

B.  S.  Dean,  President  of  the  college  at  a  salary  of  five 
Vice-President,  hundred  dollars  a  year.  The  Faculty  as 
finally  arranged  and  provided  for  consisted  of  Bailey  S. 
Dean,  Vice  President  and  Professor  of  Mental  and  Moral 
Science;  George  H.  Colton,  Professor  of  Natural  Sciences; 
George  A.  Peckham,  Professor  of  Greek  and  Latin  Lan- 
guages and  Literatures;  Colm.an  Bancroft,  Professor  of 
Mathematics  and  Astronomy ;  Arthur  C.  Pierson,  Professor 
of  Rhetoric  and  English  Literature ;  Mary  B.  Jewett,  Prin- 
cipal of  Ladies'  Department  and  Professor  of  Modern  Lan- 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT   WAS  MET,    1S83-1888.  257 

guages ;  M.  J.  Grable,  Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  Enghsh 
Studies;  M.  H.  Wilson,  Teacher  of  Penmanship  and  Book- 
keeping; Lizzie  A.  Clapp,  Teacher  of  Instrumental  Music; 
and  Emma  Johnson  Dean,  Teacher  of  Drawing,  Oil  Paint- 
ing and  China  Decoration.*  The  teaching  force  of  this 
Faculty  was  strong,  perhaps  stronger  than  ever  before  in 
some  of  its  points. 

Bailey  S.  Dean,  Vice  President  and  acting  President, 
was  well  qualified  in  character  and  education  to  act  as  Inter- 
rex  until  a  President  could  be  found.    He 
Biographical         ^^^5  ^^^.^  ^^  Canfield,  O.,  in   1845.     He 

„   „  TN  was  of  Connecticut  stock  on  his  father's 

B.  S.  Dean. 

side.  His  father  was  Orsemus  Dean,  a 
man  of  sturdy  character  and  one  of  the  pioneer  farmers  of 
Mahoning  county.  His  mother  was  Rhoda  Hayden,  and 
sister  of  William  and  A.  S.  Hayden,  the  first  and  foremost 
in  the  projection  and  execution  of  the  educational  idea  which 
finally  became  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute.  Mr. 
Dean  was  nursed  and  trained  in  the  country  home  of  his 
parents;  and  his  early  years  were  spent  as  a  farmer's  boy. 
His  school  privileges  were  as  many,  perhaps  no  more,  than 
others  had  in  that  day.  He  entered  Hiram  as  a  student  in 
1 86 1  and  continued  with  somewhat  irregular  intervals,  as 
student  until  1868,  about  four  years  in  all.  In  1868  he  en- 
tered Bethany  College  and  graduated  with  the  Class  of  1869. 
For  eight  years  afterward  he  was  pastor  of  the  Disciple 
Church  at  East  Smithfield,  Pa.,  which  provca  to  him  a  pleas- 
ant and  fruitful  field.  In  1878  he  became  pastor  of  the  Dis- 
ciple Church  at  Bellaire,  O.,  where  he  remained  until  he  was 
called  to  the  liiram  Church  in  1882  for  which  he  preached 
for  about  six  years,  resigning  to  accept  the  Chair  of  Plistory 


*Willard  W.  Slabaiif^h  and  Diiane  H.  Tilden  were  employed  as 
tutors  in  the  Preparatory  Department,  and  Allie  li.  Merriam  as 
assistant  in  Penmanship  and  Jiookkeeping. 


25S  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

in  Hiram  College,  a  place  he  yet  occupies.    As  a  student  at 

Hiram  he  is  one  of  the  links  between  the  old  and  the  new. 

He  belonged  to  the  last  classes  of  the  Old  Eclectic  and  to 

the  first  classes  of  Hiram  College.     As  the  valedictorian  in 

June,   1867,  he  closed  Vol.   I.  of  the  school's  history  and 

threw  some  of  the  light  of  the  past  on  the  yet  untrodden 

walk  of  the  future.     Considering  what  has  come  to  pass 

since  1882  it  seems  like  a  provision  of  Providence  that  he 

was  at  hand  and  qualified  when  the  Board  of  Trustees  called 

him  to  administer  the  duties  of  the  College  President. 

It  was  not  an  easy  task  to  find  the  man  v»'ho  would 

satisfy  all  concerned  for  President;  but  the  Board  looking 

at  all  the  interests  involved  determined  to 

„'    .'      ,  find  the  best  one  who  could  be  persuaded 

President.  .  .  .       ^ 

to  accept  the  position.    Their  m.otto  now 

became,  "Non  Progredi — Regredi  Est."    The  Board  called 

to  its  assistance  the  members  of  the  "Ministerial  Association 

of    the    Disciples    of    Christ    in    Eastern 

\?.  7     .  ,  Ohio"  and  asked  them  to  nominate  three 

Ministerial 

Association.  persons  from  which  the  Board  might 
select.  The  ministerial  committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  Association  to  select  names  consisted  of  J.  J.I. 
Atwater,  C.  C.  Smith,  and  IMartin  L.  Streator.  This  com- 
mittee secured  answers  from  58  preachers ;  and  in  their  re- 
port to  the  Board  said: — "We  believe  that  in  view  of  the 
origin  and  original  objects  of  Hiram  College,  it  is,  in  the 
highest  degree  important,  indeed  absolutely  essential  that 
its  President  should  be  not  only  a  believer  in  the  Christian 
faith,  but  also  an  acknowledged  Christian  and  distinctively 
identified  with  the  Disciples.  In  this  remark  we  believe  we 
express  the  unanimous  feeling  and  conviction  of  the  Associ- 
ation that  appointed  us,  as  well  as  the  entire  body  of  the 
Disciples.     We  also  believe  that  the  Disciples  of  Northern 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOV/  IT  WAS  MET,    1883-18S8.  259 

Ohio  and  their  preachers  are  ready,  as  indicated  by  their 

recent  action  in  convention,  to  co-operate  with  the  Board  in 

giving  to  the  college  increased  means  of  usefulness." 

The  committee  of  the  Board  appointed  to  nominate  a 

President  consisted  of  Lathrop  Cooley,  J.  J.   Ryder,  and 

C.  W.  Hemry.     They  reported  that  they 

T,      ^  had  canvassed  the  field   with   care,   and 

Trustees.  _  ' 

nominated  Joseph  King,  of  Alleghany 
City,  Pa.,  a  preacher  of  excellent  scholarship  and  distin- 
guished ability.  With  one  exception  the  members  of  the 
Board  voted  in  favor  of  Mr.  King  and  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  notify  him  of  his  election.  His  salary  was  fixed 
at  $1,500. 

At  the  same  meeting,  held  May  3,  1883,  the  Board 
announced  that  "we  contemplate  the  organization  of  a 
Biblical  Department  in  Hiram  College  early  in  the  coming 
year." 

For  what  appeared  to  him  good  and  sufficient  reasons, 
Mr.  King  declined  the  offer  of  the  Presidency,  closing  his 
letter  of  May  11,  1883,  with  these  words: — "I  have  regretted 

Mr.  King  the  wide  publicity  given  to  the  matter  and 

Declines  the  if  I  have  caused  delay  or  embarrassment 
Presidency.  to  the  Board  by  encouraging  the  hope 
that  I  would  accept  if  elected  and  by  finally  deciding  not  to, 
I  shall  regret  it  still  more.  I  sincerely  trust  that  the  Board 
v.-ill  be  wisely  guided  in  the  selection  of  another,  and  that 
one  abler  and  better  qualified  in  every  way  to  fill  the  position 
than  I  am  will  be  obtained." 

Notv/ithstanding  the  embarrassments   incident  to  the 

changing  of  the  college  administration  Mr.  Dean's  report 

„  to   the   Board   of  Trustees   was   hopeful. 

Vice-President  ^,           ,11                    ,    •                     r            , 

n      ,   T>        .  there  had  been  a  net  mcrease  of  21  stu- 
Dean's  Report. 

dents,  and  a  considerable  increase  in  the 
financial   receipts   for  college  purposes.     In   some  depart- 


26o  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

merits  the  classes  were  overcrowded  and  the  demand  for  the 
enlargement  of  the  college  buildings  was  becoming  imper- 
ative.  On  this  matter  Mr.  Dean  said:   '*I 
„  ., ,.  most  earnestly  hope  that  the  Board  will 

New  Buildings.  -'         *   . 

not  suffer  the  question  of  a  new  building 

to  drop  out  of  mind.  It  is  an  urgent  need ;  the  libraries  are 
crowded ;  the  Societies  have  no  suitable  halls ;  the  museum 
is  ill  accommodated ;  there  is  no  laboratory ;  and  no  suitable 
room  for  music  or  art.  The  old  building  will  serve  for 
recitations  for  a  century  to  come  perhaps ;  but  for  the  pur- 
poses specified  it  is  not  suitable.  A  new  and  modern  build- 
ing would  without  doubt  tend  to  increase  the  attendance,  as 
it  would  be  a  mark  of  progress.  I  believe  that  the  friends  of 
progress  would  respond  to  a  move  in  that  direction.  In 
conclusion  I  would  most  gratefully  testify  to  the  hearty 
co-operation  of  my  co-workers  in  all  the  cares  and  responsi- 
bilities of  the  year.  No  one  could  ask  for  more  perfect 
harmony  than  has  prevailed.  Thanking  you  for  the  con- 
fidence reposed  in  me,  and  deeply  sensible  how  imperfectly 
I  have  discharged  the  duties  of  my  position,  I  lay  down  the 
trust  which  I  reluctantly  assumed." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  held 

June   13,   1883,  the  financial  condition  of  the  college  was 

reported    in   a    carefully   detailed   report 

„      ...  from  the  Finance  Committee,  showinjy  a 

Condition.  "^ 

total  of  producing  capital  of  $42,840. 
Concerning  the  securities  of  these  funds  the  Committee 
said : — "Your  committee  have  endeavored  to  secure  the  best 
rates  consistent  with  unquestioned  security,  and  so  far  the 
Trustees  can  rejoice  with  us  that  there  has  been  no  loss  to 
interfere  with  the  productive  resources  of  the  college,  or  to 
admit  of  any  doubt  as  to  the  judicious  management  of  our 
Endowment  Fund." 

June  13,  1883,  the  Board  of  Trustees  took  action  on  the 


A  CRISIS  AND  now  IT  WAS  MET,    1SS3-18SS.  361 

recommendation  of  the  Committee  on  President  and  unani- 
mously elected  George  H.  Laughlin  Pres- 
Electionof  .^^^^^    ^^   ^-^^^^    College   and   fixed   his 

G.  II.  Laughhn  .  t,,       ?  ,,•  t 

President.  salary  at  $1,500.     Mr.  Laughhn  accepted 

the  position  and  entered  on  his  duties 
immediately.  The  Faculty  at  the  beginning  of  his  adminis- 
tration was  substantially  the  same  as  that  which  served  with 
\'ice  President  Dean.  Jessie  F.  Horton  became  special 
Teacher  of  Elocution,  and  Walter  C.  Spaulding,  and  Frank 
W.  Norton  were  tutors  in  the  Preparatory  Department ;  and 
Minnie  E.  Robinson  took  the  place  of  Mary  B.  Jewett  as 
Principal  of  the  Ladies'  Department. 

George   Hamilton    Laughlin   was    born   December   28, 
1838,  at  Quincy,  Illinois.    lie  was  third  in  a  family  of  eight 
Biographical         sons.    On  his  father's  side  he  was  of  Eng- 
Sketch  of  lish  ancestry  and  on  his  mother's,  Scotch, 

President  and  in  the  line  of  his  father  he  was  re- 

Laughlin.  ^^^.^^  ^^  President  James  Madison.     His 

early  training  was  received  on  an  Illinois  farm,  and  his 
first  educational  opportunities  were  furnished  by  the  "dis- 
trict school"  of  his  neighborhood.  Physically  he  was  not 
a  large  man  either  in  height  or  weight.  He  was  five  feet 
eight  inches  in  height,  and  he  never  weighed  over  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds.  In  October,  1857,  he  entered  Berean 
College,  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  less  than 
ene  year.  He  then  entered  Abingdon  College  at  Abingdon, 
Illinois,  where  he  remained  for  four  years  as  a  student.  He 
graduated  from  Abingdon  College  in  1862  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class,  delivering  the  Greek  Salutatory.  He 
united  with  the  Christian  Church  in  1859.  ^^  was  married 
August  21,  1862,  to  Miss  Deborah  J.  Ross,  who  yet  survives 
him.  About  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  began  teaching  and 
preaching,  which  he  steadily  continued  until  his  death, 
November  16,  1895.    For  three  years  immediately  following 


262  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

his  marriage  he  taught  in  the  pubHc  schools  of  IHinois.  For 
eight  years  following  he  was  Principal  of  Ralls  County 
Academy  at  New  London,  Missouri;  and  for  five  years  of 
this  time  he  was  County  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools. 

In  1874  he  was  called  to  fill  the  chair  of  Ancient  Lan- 
guages in  Oskaloosa  College,  Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  He  held 
this  position  for  seven  years.  In  1881  he  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  college,  resigning  to  accept  the  Presidency  of 
Hiram  College  in  1883,  which  position  he  held  for  four 
years.  After  he  left  Hiram  for  three  years  he  was  Professor 
of  Ancient  Languages  in  Garfield  University,  Wichita,  Kan- 
sas. He  was  also  pastor  for  one  year  of  the  Christian 
Church  at  Wichita.  After  he  left  Wichita  he  was  pastor  of 
the  Christian  Church  at  Kirksville,  Missouri,  and  for  three 
years  filled  the  Chair  of  English  Literature,  in  the  State 
Normal  School  at  Kirksville.  He  received  several  academic 
Degrees  besides  those  granted  by  his  Alma  Mater;  LL.  D. ; 
Ph.  D.,  and  was  a  member  of  a  Society  of  Science  in  Lon- 
don, England,  and  a  Councilor  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Civics.  He  was  a  very  busy  and  useful  man,  but  his  best 
work  was  done  in  the  Professor's  Chair  and  in  the  pulpit, 
places  for  which  he  was  better  equipped  than  for  the  dis- 
tracting details  of  college  administration.  He  bore  a  blame- 
less character  in  his  private  and  public  life.  Coming  to 
Hiram  as  he  did  in  a  critical  period  in  her  history ;  a  stranger 
to  the  larger  part  of  his  supporters ;  and  unacquainted  with 
the  methods  and  traditions  which  had  prevailed  for  a  third 
of  a  century ;  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  do  what  another, 
trained  and  learned  in  these  things  might  have  done ;  and 
yet  it  may  fairly  be  questioned  whether  any  other  could, 
under  the  circumstances,  have  done  better  than  he  did.  The 
time  had  not  yet  come  for  the  distinct,  and  strong  forward 
movement. 

When  President  Laughlin  began  his  work  in  Hiram  he 
had  understood  that  the  college  would  be  provided  v.dth  a 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1 883- 1 888.  263 

better  building  for  its  work.     The  need 
The  Need  of 

T  xj  Mj-  for  such  enlarsrement  of  collejre  facihties 

Larger  Buildings.  °  ° 

was  manifest  to  all.  But  the  Board  of 
Trustees  v/as  conservative  and  would  not  move  except  on 
safe  ground.  President  Hinsdale  had  frequently  insisted 
on  the  great  need  of  enlarged  accommodations.  Vice  Presi- 
dent Dean  had  done  the  same.  Several  of  the  Professors 
had  emphasized  these  numerous  requests.  Finally  a  tenta- 
tive movement  was  started  February  ii,  1884,  by  Trustees 
A.  J.  Marvin  and  William  Bowler.  Mr.  Marvin  moved 
"that  a  subscription  paper  be  drafted  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  funds  to  build  a  new  building  at  Hiram  and  for 
making  repairs  on  the  old."  Mr.  Bowler  moved  "that  the 
amount  which  it  should  be  attempted  to  raise  be  $15,000, 
all  subscriptions  to  be  paid  when  $10,000  of  good  and  valid 
pledges  shall  have  been  taken."  Both  of  these  motions  pre- 
vailed but  with  the  proviso : — "That  nothing  which  has  been 
done  at  this  meeting  be  construed  as  committing  this  Board 
to  the  proposition  to  build  at  Fliram  and  that  the  committee 
on  subscriptions  be  instructed  to  take  no  steps  whatever 
that  shall  in  any  way  commit  the  Board  in  any  financial 
sense,  until  the  Board  shall  have  taken  further  action  in  the 
premises."  But  this  was  a  beginning — a  beginning  which 
silenced,  at  last,  all  clamor  for  the  removal  of  the  college 
from  Hiram  to  any  other  place,  and  resulted  in  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  material  facilities  of  the  college  more  than  one 
hundred  per  cent. 

President   Laughlin's   reports    from   year   to  year   are 

interesting.     His  first  report  was  made  June   11.   1884,   in 

President  whicli  he  said  in  part : — "In  many  particu- 

Laughlin's  lars  the  scholastic  year  now  closing  has 

Annual  been  a  prosperous  one.     There  had  been 

an  increase  of  the  number  of  students  in 

1884.  college  classes,  a  slight  decrease  from  the 

previous  year  in  the  Preparatory  classes;  while  the  aggrc- 


264  HISTOKY    OK    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

gate  financial  receipts  were  about  the  same  as  for  the  two 
years  preceding.  Hiram's  standard  of  scholarship  is  high ; 
it  shall  not  be  lowered  during  my  administration.  The 
scholarly  attainments  and  teaching  capacity  of  my  fellow- 
teachers  will  go  far  towards  maintaining  the  present  high 
standard  of  scholarship  in  the  Institution  and  increasing  the 
number  of  students  in  the  regular  college  classes.  But 
success  in  college  work  depends  upon  a  great  variety  of 
helps.  The  pressing  need  of  Hiram  is  a  new  college  build- 
ing. Although  your  attention  has  been  frequently  called  to 
the  fact,  yet  it  is  my  firm  conviction  that  unless  Hiram  shall 
keep  pace  with  the  other  colleges  of  Northern  Ohio  in  sup- 
plying educational  facilities,  that  her  days  of  usefulness  will 
be  numbered  in  the  near  future.  Hiram  does  not  ask  for  a 
costly  building  and  artistic  display,  but  for  a  plain  building 
— simply  for  more  room.  *  +  *  j  ^^1  also  heartily  in 
sympathy  with  the  desire  that  Hiram  should  be  distinctively 
a  Disciple  School,  and  it  seems  to  be  the  general  judgment  of 
the  Disciples  in  Northern  Ohio  that  a  Biblical  Department 
should  be  sustained  in  Hiram  College.  It  is  sincerely  hoped 
that  you  may  adopt  wise  measures  as  to  ways  and  means  of 
sustaining  this  Department  as  an  essential  feature  of  the 
general  curriculum  of  studies  at  Hiram." 

President  Laughlin's  report  for  1885  presented  a  gener- 
ally favorable  condition  of  affairs  at  the  college.     The  Bible 
-_  Department   had  been   quite  prosperous. 

The  financial  condition  had  not  materially 
changed  except  in  the  diminished  revenue  from  the  Board- 
ing Hall.  In  regard  to  the  new  building  President  Laughlin 
said: — "One  year  ago  the  Faculty  were  authorized  by  the 
Board  to  assist  the  Building  Committee  in  soliciting  sub- 
scriptions. All  that  I  am  now  able  to  report  is  that  through 
my  own  solicitations  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  nearly 
$4,000  have  been  made  since  February,  1884.   Possibly  other 


« 


A  CRISIS  AND   HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1883-1S88.  265 

subscriptions  have  been  secured  by  the  Building  Committee. 
The  members  of  the  Faculty  heartily  join  me  in  recom- 
mending you  to  place  in  the  field,  at  an  early  date,  an  agent 
whose  special  business  shall  be  to  solicit  students  for  the 
college." 

President  Laughlin's  report  for  1886  was  not  as  hope- 
ful in  some  of  its  features  as  the  two  preceding.  One  reason 
that  he  gave  was  "the  uncertainty  whether 
or  not  the  college  would  remain  at  its 
present  location."  The  financial  condition  of  the  college 
was  about  at  its  lowest  ebb,  and  a  reduction  of  the  teaching 
force  had  become  necessary.  Persistent  rumors  were  in  the 
air  that  the  college  was  to  be  removed  to  Warren  or  to  some 
other  location.  But  there  were  hopeful  signs  and  favorable 
features.  He  said: — "One  of  the  written  conditions  upon 
which  I  accepted  the  Presidency  of  Hiram  College  was  that 
the  facilities  of  the  Institution  should  be  increased  by  the 
erection  of  an  additional  college  building  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  assistance  given  to  this  enterprise  by  members  of  your 
own  body  in  generous  subscriptions  made  two  years  ago 
supplemented  by  numerous  smaller  subscriptions  made  with- 
in the  past  year,  chiefly  in  Portage  county,  has  greatly  en- 
couraged both  my  co-laborers  and  myself.  From  the  first,  I 
have  had  confidence  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the  enterprise, 
believing  that  the  increased  facilities  of  the  Institution  would 
in  the  'logic  of  events,'  be  brought  about  in  a  few  years,  if 
not  at  Hiram,  certainly  at  some  point  in  Northern  Ohio. 
What  we  have  seen  by  the  eye  of  faith  for  several  years  is 
now  beginning  to  materialize.  The  present  Commencement 
is,  in  a  certain  sense,  an  auspicious  occasion  in  that  the 
corner  stone  of  the  new  building  is  now  to  be  laid.  And 
now  that  your  Institution  is,  in  quite  a  definite  way  fixed 
permanently  at  Hiram,  I  doubt  not  that  the  loyalty  of  its 
old  friends  and  that  of  its  new  friends  will  be  its  source 


366  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

of  Strength.  And  although  we  are  fully  at  the  turning  point 
of  a  new  chapter  in  Hiram's  history,  yet  I  presume  that  it 
is  a  wise  statement  to  make,  and  that  the  members  of  the 
Board,  the  Alumni,  the  Faculty  of  the  College,  and  all  the 
genuine  friends  of  the  Institution  realize  that  it  will  require 
*a  long  pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  altogether'  to  con- 
summate fully  the  work  now  inaugurated." 

President  Laughlin's  last  report  was  made  June   15, 
1887.     The  report  was  brief  but  indicated  a  good  condition 

,„„  of  college  affairs.    Quite  an  increase  had 

1887 

been  made  to  the  college  classes,  and  the 

financial  condition  was  somewhat  better  than  in  the  previous 
year.  The  Literary  Societies  had  been  stimulated  to  better 
work  by  the  hope  of  soon  having  better  halls  for  their  ses- 
sions. Joseph  King,  who  had  declined  the  offered  Presi- 
dency of  the  college,  had  donated  his  large  private  library 
to  the  college,  which  largely  increased  and  enriched  that 
department.  The  one  sad  event  of  the  year  and  of  the 
administration  now  drawing  to  its  close,  was  the  death  of 
James  Edgar  Norton,  of  whom  the  President  said: — "In 
the  midst  of  the  spring  term  (^lay  5)  w^e  were  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  death  of  J.  E.  Norton.  His  death,  which  v/as 
caused  (April  29)  by  a  very  peculiar  accident,  cast  a  deep 
gloom  over  the  college  community.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Junior  Class.  In  faithfulness  and  thoroughness  of  work, 
in  integrity  of  Christian  character,  and  in  friendship  for  all 
he  had  no  superior  among  our  students." 

President  Laughlin's  connection  with  the  college  closed 

with   Commencement   day,   June,    18S7.      In   accepting  his 

resignation  the  Board  of  Trustees  placed 

Close  of  Q^  record  the  following  appreciative  reso- 

President  Intion :— "That  this  Board  take  pleasure 

» _,    ."? ,    ,.  in  recognizing  the  faithfulness  with  which 

Administration.  °  ,.       ,  i-     i  i    i  • 

President    Laughlin    has    discharged    his 

duties   as   President   of  Lliram   College   for   the  past   four 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1SS3-1S88.  267 

\ears,  and  desire  to  express  their  appreciation  of  his  honest 

and  zealous  labor  to  forward  the  interests  of  the  college 

during  his  entire  connection  with  it." 

The  event  of  greatest  importance   to  Hiram  College 

(luring  the  period  from  1883  to  1888  was  the  enlargement 

and    renewing    of    the    college    building 

omp  e  ion  which  for  a  long  time  had  been  inade- 

of  the  ° 

New  Buildings.       qwate  for  the  needs  of  the  Institution.    As 

in  all  such  enterprises  a  few  men  are  at 
the  front  and  plainly  in  sight,  so  it  was  here.  President 
Hinsdale  had  begun  the  agitation  of  the  question  of  a  new 
building  in  his  report  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  year 
18S1-2.  Vice  President  Dean  had  given  emphasis  to  the 
necessities  of  the  case.  President  Laughlin  had  brought 
the  matter  forward  in  each  of  his  annual  reports  until  the 
Board  had  actually  and  seriously  considered  the  question 
and  set  in  motion  the  forces  that  finally  resulted  in  the  suc- 
cessful completion  of  large  and  well-arranged  buildings. 

It  will  not  be  invidious  to  name  with  the  foregoing 
B.  S.  Dean,  D.  H.  Beaman,  G.  H.  Colton,  O.  C.  Atwater, 
William  Bowler  and  Abram  Teachout.  Others  did  good 
work  and  are  entitled  to  credit ;  but  these  were  the  swift- 
footed  runners,  the  hands  that  never  hung  down,  the  knees 
that  v/ere  never  feeble,  and  the  minds  that  were  quick  to 
discern  and  liberal  to  devise. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  held  in  Gar- 

rettsville  March  31,  1886,  Mr.  Abram  Teachout  offered  the 

following  resolutions,  which  were  unanimously  adopted : — 

"Whereas,    At  a  meeting  of  the  Board 

Mr.  Teachout's       held  in  Cleveland  February  11,  1884,  in- 

Resolution  itial   steps,  looking  to   the  erection  of  a 

in  1886.  new    college    building    at    Hiram,    were 

taken ;  and 

"Whereas,   Subscriptions  amounting  to  about  ten  thou- 


268  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

sand  ($10,000)  dollars  have  been  secured  for  erecting  said 
building, 

Therefore  he  it  Resolved,  That  a  Building  Committee 
be  elected  on  nomination,  and  be  clothed  with  power  to 
build  the  said  building  on  the  following  terms  and  con- 
ditions : — First,  Said  committee  is  authorized  to  procure 
plans,  to  make  contracts,  and  to  supervise  the  work  of  erec- 
tion. Second,  Said  committee  is  authorized  to  collect  the 
subscriptions  already  made  with  which  to  pay  for  said  build- 
ing, and  also  to  secure  and  collect  additional  subscriptions 
for  the  same  purpose,  provided  that  the  total  amount  raised, 
including  the  ten  thousand  dollars,  shall  not  exceed  seven- 
teen thousand  five  hundred  dollars  ($17,500)  ;  and  the  com- 
mittee are  hereby  authorized  to  expend  any  balance  that 
may  remain  after  building  and  paying  for  the  new  building, 
in  repairs  upon  the  old  building.  Third,  All  contracts  made 
by  said  committee  shall  be  made  in  their  own  names  and  in 
the  names  of  such  other  persons  as  they  may  associate  with 
themselves  for  their  purposes ;  it  being  expressly  provided 
that  the  committee  shall  not  in  any  way  involve  the  college 
in  such  contracts,  and  that  the  college  shall  not,  in  any  par- 
ticular, be  responsible  for  the  transactions  of  said  committee. 
Fourth,  On  the  completion  of  said  building,  and  on  the  final 
payment  being  made  therefor,  it  shall  be  turned  over  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  and  shall  be  accepted  by  the  same  as  a 
part  of  the  college  property." 

On  the  adoption  of  these  resolutions  it  was  resolved 

that  the  Building  Committee  to  be  elected  should  consist 

of  ten  persons,  five  of  whom  should  be 
The  Building:  ,  .-   ,1       t->         1       -ri 

„         .,,  niembers  ot  the  Board,      ihe  committee 

Committee. 

selected  from  the  Board  consisted  of 
William  Bowler,  Abram  Teachout,  J.  J.  Ryder,  B.  F.  Waters, 
and   Charles  E.   Henry;  the  others  were  F.   E.   Derthick, 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1SS3-1888.  269 

George  H.  Colton,  D.  H.  Beaman,  J.  E.  Norton,  and  Arthur 
Crane. 

At   this   meeting   the    Board   authorized   the   Building 
Committee  to  employ  Orris  C.  Atwater  to  act  as  Financial 

Agent  for  the  present.     Mr.  Atwater  had 

O.  C.  Atwater.  1        j       t  i.-         •  1    •     •  4.1 

already    been   active    m   proclamimg   the 

necessity  of  new  buildings  at  Hiram  and  pushing  their 
claims  among  the  people.  A  meeting  of  the  citizens  of 
Hiram  and  vicinity  had  been  held  in  the  College  chapel 
July  17,  1885,  and  a  committee  of  fifteen  citizens  appointed 
to  take  the  necessary  steps  for  a  thorough  canvass,  especially 
of  Portage  county.  This  committee  met  July  30,  and  chose 
Mr.  Atwater  to  represent  them  in  the  canvass.  In  writing 
of  this  particular  time  to  Prof.  B.  S.  Dean,  Mr.  Atwater 
says:  "You  know  the  work  of  1885,  1886,  1887,  and  how 
many  dark  days  there  were,  how  many  cpestions  and  plans, 
how  many  doubts  and  fears.  You  remember  well  the  com- 
mittee of  fifteen  that  met  in  the  Delphic  room ;  and  that  they 
put  the  whole  matter  in  my  charge  as  to  a  sub-committee  of 
one :  and  when  I  dared  not  go  on  alone,  for  I  had  never  been 
tried  in  any  similar  v/ork,  they  increased  the  sub-committee 
to  three  and  insisted  on  my  naming  the  other  members  of 
that  local  working  committee.  There  would  have  been  no 
new  building,  and  no  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building,  and  no  glad 
triumph  and  jubilee,  if  somebody  had  not  been  found  to 
carry  the  burden  that  committee  of  fifteen  had  laid  on  me. 
You  never  knev,-  how  grateful  I  was  for  the  cheer  I  got  by 
going  up  to  consult  with  you  in  your  study,  nor  how  many 
prayers  vvent  up  for  help  from  on  High.  There  ought,  too, 
to  be  mention  made  of  D.  H.  Beaman's 
D.  II.  Beaman.  ^Q^ji-age  and  generosity  in  the  dark  days 
of  1885.  When  he  urged  me  to  undertake  the  canvass  he 
offered  to  pay  all  the  salary  and  all  the  expenses.  He  laid 
no  restrictions  upon  me  and  he  paid  every  dollar,  and  paid 


270  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

it  promptly  and  cheerfully — that,  too,  while  it  was  still 
doubtful  whether  any  good  would  come  out  of  it,  or  whether 
Other  subscribers  ^vould  have  to  pay  a  cent."* 

The  tribute  paid  by  Mr.  Atwater  to  Mr.  Beaman  is  not 
too  great.  The  local  committee  would  have  been  greatly 
weakened  if  he  had  not  been  a  member  of  it,  and  the  local 
work  of  Hiram  will  always  bear  witness  to  his  public  enter- 
prise and  liberality. 

Mr.  Atwater  was  unremitting  and  conscientious  in  his 
canvass.  He  could  speak  from  the  heart  for  Hiram,  for 
he  was  one  of  her  first  students  in  time  and  in  ability.  He 
knew  her  needs  for  his  own  growth  had  been  at  her  side. 
He  could  not  do  great  things  for  the  day  of  great  things 
had  not  yet  come.  Of  this  he  says : — "Nobody  realizes  more 
than  I  do  that  that  day  was  the  day  of  small  things  and 
nobody  rejoices  more  heartily  over  the  great  advances  being 
made.  But  in  the  condition  Hiram  then  was  after  so  many 
years  of  weakness,  and  with  all  the  discouragements,  and 
with  the  'Warren  movement'  hanging  over  us,  there  had  to 
be  a  day  of  small  things  before  there  could  be  a  day  of  great 
things." 

During  this  struggle  Prof.  B.  S.  Dean  w^as  not  in  the 
rear  rank  of  efficient  helpers.  He  canvassed  Hiram  and  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  about  four  thousand 
dollars,  nearly  all  of  which  was  paid.  Pie 
also  assisted  in  the  canvass  of  Alahoning  and  Trumbull 
counties.  In  his  Hiram  canvass  Mr.  Dean  was  a  volunteer. 

Mr.  W.  H.  C.  Newington  was  chosen  by  the  committee 

of  fifteen  to  solicit  funds  from  the  College 

Alumni.  The  records  do  not  reveal  the  re- 
Newington.  ,        .  ,  .     ,   ,  ,,..,. 

suit  of  his  labors  but  with  his  energy  put 

into  the  canvass  something  came  out  of  it. 


♦Letter  of  O.  C.  Atwater,  Bethany,  Neb.,  June  15,  1900. 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1S83-188S.  27 1 

The  Committee  of  Ten  elected  by  the  Board  of  Trustees 

met  in  Hiram  April  i6,  1886,  and   organized    by    selecting 

Abram  Teachout,  Chairman,  and  George 

Organization  of       -^    ^   .,  o  ^  .  t^  t^i 

.,  V         •*.  -H..  Colton,  Secretary  and  Treasurer.   The 

the  Committee.  .       '  •' 

Committee  had  the  authority  from 
the  Board  of  Trustees  to  build  a  new  and  separate 
building  or  remodel  the  old  one.  They  chose  the 
latter  after  an  examination  of  carefully  drawn 
plans  from  various  architects.  The  plan  adopted 
was  prepared  by  S.  W.  Foulk,  of  New  Castle,  Pa.  The 
contract  for  building  was  awarded  to  C.  W.  and  J.  L. 
Weaver,  of  Sharon,  Pa.,  and  work  was  begun  on  the  8th  of 
June  and  pushed  so  rapidly  that  the  corner  stone  of  the 
structure  was  laid  on  Commencement  Day,  June  17,  1886, 
with  appropriate  ceremonies,  and  the  traditional  box  con- 
taining papers,  coins,  etc.,  Vv-as  deposited  under  the  stone. 
On  this  occasion  speeches  of  the  proper  sort  were  made  by 
Dr.  I.  A.  Thayer,  Prof.  B.  J.  Radford,  of  Eureka,  111., 
William  Bowler,  and  Abram  Teacliout,  who  concluded  the 
exercises  in  an  appropriate  manner.  The  contract  called 
for  the  completion  of  so  much  of  the  building  by  Septem- 
ber 28,  1886,  as  to  accommodate  the  regular  classes,  and 
the  whole  was  to  be  completed  by  December  i,  1886;  but 
a  failure  on  the  part  of  the  brickmaker  to  furnish  the  brick 
in  time  delayed  the  work  so  that  the  carpenters  did  not 
get  through  until  February  19,  1887.  During  the  fall 
term  of  1886,  and  the  first  part  of  the  winter  term  the 
Town  Hall,  and  the  "Baker  Plouse"  on  the  west  side  of 
the  campus  were  used  for  college  purposes.  The  new 
building  was  dedicated  on  January  11,  and  its  recitation 
rooms  opened  on  January  12,  1887.  On  the  day  of  dedica- 
tion the  weather  was  extremely  cold,  but 
Dedication  .,     ,  ,  ,.  111 

- ,,  nevertheless  a  large  audience   asscmiMed 

of  the  .  ^^  . 

New  Building.        '"  ^"^  "c^^'  chapel  at  1 :45  p.  m.,  the  tune 

appointed    for   the    exercises.      President 

Laughlin  presided  on   the  occasion  and  after  the  opening 


372  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

prayer  by  Prof.  B.  S.  Dean  the  students  of  the  college  sang 
"Ho!  Reapers  of  Life's  Harvest."  Prof.  George  H.  Colton 
presented  the  financial  statement  of  the  Building  Com- 
mittee. All  this  prepared  the  way  for  the  address  of  Mr. 
Abram  Teachout,  the  able  chairman  of  the  Building  Com- 
mittee. As  his  address  touches  every  essential  phase  from 
the   inception  to  the  completion  of  the   new  building  the 

larger  part  of  it  is  given  here.  Address- 
Mr.  Teachout's         .         ^1        o^        ,                j    r  •       1  r    tt 
...                   mg  the    irustees  and  friends  of  Hiram 
Address                   ° 

and  Report.  College,  Mr.  Teachout  said  : — "This  col- 
lege has  for  many  years  been  far  behind 
her  sister  colleges  of  the  State  in  accommodations  for  its 
teachers  and  students.  The  want  has  been  referred  to  in 
the  annual  report  of  its  president  for  several  years.  It  has 
been  seriously  considered  by  the  friends  of  the  school.  Many 
valuable  students  have  been  lost  because  of  this  want.  The 
lack  of  means  to  make  the  necessary  improvements  has  been 
the  chief  trouble.  It  is  well  known  that  Hiram  College  is 
the  outgrowth  of  the  great  religious  reformation  of  the 
nineteenth  century  which  culminated  in  the  organization  of 
what  is  known  as  the  Christian  or  Disciple  Church.  'Col- 
leges and  churches,'  said  the  great  Alexander  Campbell,  'go 
hand  in  hand  in  the  progress  of  Christian  civilization.'  'The 
number  of  colleges  and  churches  in  any  community,'  said 
b.e,  'is  the  index  and  exponent  of  its  Christian  civilization 
and  advancement.  Colleges  and  schools  of  every  rank  are 
cr  ought  to  be  founded  upon  some  great  principle  in  nature 
and  in  human  society.'  As  chairman  of  the  Building  Com- 
mittee I  think  I  can  safely  say  that  our  belief  in  the  above 
sentiment  has  stimulated  us  to  accept  the  heavy  responsibil- 
ity and  undertake  the  work.  We  have  got  it  where  it  is,  and 
have  invited  you  here  to  see  what  we  have  done.  In  belialf 
of  the  committee,  I  thank  you  for  coming,  so  many  of  you, 
and  hope  you  will  not  have  occasion  to  regret  having  spent 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1SS3-1SS8.  273 

the  day  at  Hiram.  Your  Building  Committee  was  appointed 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  Garrettsville,  held 
to  consider  the  matter  of  expending  $10,000  that  had  been 
subscribed  for  building  purposes.  Its  members  were  selected 
from  the  store,  the  farms,  the  machine  shop,  and  the  lumber 
yard ;  also  one  from  the  College  Faculty,  who  was  quickly 
made  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  committee.  We  were 
given  power  to  collect  the  $10,000  subscribed,  to  employ  a 
solicitor  to  continue  the  subscription,  and  to  go  ahead  with 
the  work  provided  that  we  would  assume  all  responsibility, 
and  not  encroach  upon  the  endowment  fund,  or  incur  any 
obligations  the  college  would  be  required  to  pay.  When  that 
resolution  was  passed  the  members  of  the  committee  looked 
into  each  other's  faces  rather  hesitatingly.  But,  never  having 
had  such  honors  conferred  upon  them  before,  after  a  few 
brief  consultations,  they  concluded  to  accept,  and  try  their 
luck.  There  were  eight  of  us,  and  we  were  permitted  to  add 
to  our  number  as  our  judgment  should  dictate.  At  our 
second  meeting  we  appointed  Rev.  E.  B.  Wakefield,  of  War- 
ren, O.,  and  Dr.  I.  A.  Thayer,  of  New  Castle,  Pa.,  to  act 
with  us  on  the  committee.  They  have  been  a  help  to  us,  for 
if  they  could  not  furnish  much  money,  they  could  pray  for 
us  and  our  success,  which  we  felt  at  times  we  very  m.uch 
needed.  We  at  once  invited  plans  and  estimates  for  a  new 
building,  not  to  cost  over  $15,000.  Three  competent  archi- 
tects furnished  plans,  which  were  investigated  thoroughly 
on  the  27th  of  April,  1886.  The  plans  were  all  good  and  the 
estimates  reasonable,  but  they  did  not  give  the  room  needed. 
The  old  building  was  carefully  looked  over  from  basement 
to  garret,  with  the  idea  of  building  tlie  new  in  connection 
with  the  old  so  as  to  have  all  in  one  building,  as  more  room 
and  a  better  looking  structure  could  be  obtained  for  the 
money.  It  could  be  warmed  with  less  expense,  and  would 
in  every  respect  be  more  convenient.    We,  therefore,  asked 


274  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

the  competing  architects  to  submit  plans  and  estimates  of 
that  kind,  which  they  did.  We  finally  adopted  the  plans 
proposed  by  Air.  S.  W.  Foulk,  of  New  Castle,  Pa.  Permit 
me  to  say  that  there  were  great  misgivings  about  altering 
or  changing  the  old  building  so  that  its  identity  would  in 
any  way  be  lost.  There  was  a  unanimous  feeling  that,  if 
practicable,  it  should  stand  upon  Hiram  Hill  a  monument  of 
its  thirty-six  years'  work  and  of  the  noble  men  who  had 
occupied  its  presidential  chair  and  are  now  numbered  among 
the  dead.  The  honorable  and  godly  A.  S.  Hayden,  the  schol- 
arly Dr.  Silas  E.  Shepard,  the  young,  active,  energetic 
teacher,  brave  soldier,  distinguished  statesman,  and  martyred 
President,  James  A.  Garfield.  I  take  time  only  to  mention 
those  that  have  finished  their  work  and  have  gone  to  their 
reward.  May  not  some  inquiring  mind  of  generations  yet 
to  come,  in  looking  over  the  records  of  this  Institution  and 
reading  the  life  of  the  lamented  Garfield  and  his  connection 
with  the  history  of  our  country  from  i860  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  September  19,  1881,  look  up  to  heaven  and  say: — 

'In  those  dark  and  stormy  days  of  old 
Arose  among  the  risings  of  his  age, 
A  man  of  massive  and  gigantic  mold. 
Whom  we  must  measure  as  the  Cretan  sage 
Measured  the  pyramids  of  ages  past 
By  the  far-reaching  shadows  which  he  cast.' 

Yes,  my  friends,  the  shadow  of  that  wonderful  man  will 
reach  far  down  into  the  ages.  But  I  am  digressing  and  must 
return  to  my  work.  Your  committee  held  three  meetings  at 
Garrettsville,  on  May  15,  23,  and  28,  to  open  bids  and  con- 
sider and  adopt  a  system  of  heating  and  ventilation.  In  the 
meantime  Mr.  Bowler  and  myself  visited  Oberlin  and  Toledo 
to  get  all  the  information  we  could  in  regard  to  the  most 
improved  system  of  heating.  On  the  29th  day  of  May  con- 
tract was  made  with  C.  W.  Weaver,  of  Sharon,  Pa.,  to  erect 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1S83-18SS.  375 

the  building,  and  with  Isaac  D.  Smead  &  Co.,  of  Toledo,  O., 
for  heating  and  ventilating.  It  became  necessary  to  bargain 
for  extras  with  Mr.  Weaver  from  time  to  time,  principally 
to  make  the  old  part  of  the  building  entirely  new  in  all  of 
its  rooms.  The  work  of  excavating  and  quarrying  the  stone 
for  the  foundation  was  commenced  on  or  about  the  8th  day 
of  June,  and  the  work  was  pushed  as  fast  as  possible.  The 
corner  stone  was  laid  June  17,  1886,  the  day  of  the  Com- 
mencement exercises.  There  has  been  general  harmony  in 
the  committee.  Some  of  them  were  thought  to  be  a  little 
slack  about  attending  the  called  meetings,  but  when  called 
to  account  for  it  gave  us  about  the  same  satisfaction  as  the 
preacher  received  when  he  took  his  deacon  to  task  for  going 
to  sleep  every  Sunday  as  soon  as  he  had  commenced  his 
sermon.  The  deacon's  answer  was,  'My  dear  brother,  I  have 
perfect  confidence  in  you,  and  when  you  get  fairly  started 
in  your  sermon  I  know  everything  will  be  going  right  any- 
how.' I  shall  not  be  detracting  one  syllable  from  the  ef- 
ficiency of  any  member  of  the  committee  when  I  say  to  you 
that  Brother  William  Bowler  has  been  untiring  in  his 
efforts ;  has  spent  more  time  here  than  any  other  member  of 
the  committee ;  has  watched  with  a  critical  eye  the  work  in 
every  department ;  and,  has,  I  think,  made  a  lasting  impres- 
sion and  acquaintance  with  nearly  every  workman  on  the 
job.  lie  has  our  sincere  thanks.  You  have  heard  the  report 
of  the  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  Every  dollar  of  the  money 
has  passed  through  his  hands,  and  when  we  consider  his 
duties  as  teacher  in  the  college,  it  is  almost  a  marvel  that  we 
find  his  book  and  statement  in  so  accurate  a  condition  as 
they  are.  Our  soliciting  agents,  O.  C.  Atwater  and  B.  S. 
Dean,  have  been  industrious  and  have  succeeded  as  well  as 
could  be  expected.  We  have,  as  the  treasurer's  report  shows, 
incurred  a  debt  for  which  we  arc  personally  responsible ;  but 
we  believe  you  have  got  value  received,  and  will,  according 


376  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGLC. 

to  your  abilty,  help  us  to  liquidate  it.  The  money  we  have 
borrowed  is  for  a  reiasonable  length  of  time,  and  at  a  low 
rate  of  interest,  all  of  it  drawing  only  six  per  cent.  We 
have  been  kindly  tendered  more  money  at  that  rate  of  inter- 
est than  we  needed,  so  that  we  are  flattered  that  our  credit 
has  not  suffered,  and  if  you  help  us  out  we  believe  you  will 
be  doing  a  good  work.  We  should  labor  for  the  good  of  our 
race.  This  would  be  a  dark  and  cheerless  world  if  we  lived 
for  ourselves  alone.    We  should  live  for  one  another." 

Mr.  Teachout  was  followed  by  Rev.  Jabez  Hall,  then  of 

Cleveland,  O.,  in  an  able  and  scholarly  address  in  which  he 

urged  that  the  original  thought  and  pur- 

„       ,  ,_     „  ,,       pose  of  the  founders  of  Hiram  College 
Rev.  Jabez  Hall.       ^  .  ° 

should  be  adhered  to,  viz. : — "To  erect  an 
Institution  sacred  to  Christian  learning  in  which  the  Living 
Oracles — the  W^ord  of  God — should  faithfully  and  fully  be 
taught  to  all  who  should  resort  to  this  place  for  the  purpose 
of  being  educated." 

In  impressing  this  thought  IMr.  Hall  in  part  said : — 
I — "Inasmuch  as  it  was  the  principal  thought  of  the 
founders  of  this  college  to  make  it  a  'School  of  the  Bible,' 
there  rests  upon  us  an  obligation  to  foster  this  design.  For 
we  have  received  this  Institution  thus  planned  and  organized 
with  this  special  character  stamped  upon  it  and  wrought 
into  its  character.  The  moneys  contributed  to  the  founding 
and  perpetuating  the  Institution  were  given  for  this  purpose 
and  with  this  end  in  view.  The  appeal  urged  constantly  on 
the  brotherhood  of  the  'Disciples'  has  no  other  ground  to 
stand  on  than  this:  that  this  Institution  is  a  school  of  the 
Bible,  a  Christian  college.  From  the  standpoint  of  obliga- 
tion, then,  we  ought  earnestly  to  strengthen  and  enlarge  the 
department  of  Bible  instruction  in  this  Institution. 

2 — "We  ought  -to  do  this  because  it  is  a  thing  eminently 
fit  and  wise  to  do.     Whatever  views  we  may  hold  of  the 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1883-1SSS.  277 

origin  of  the  sacred  books  of  the  Christian  rehgion,  <ve  can- 
not place  them  in  a  position  inferior  to  other  Hteraturcs. 
The  Bible,  as  a  classic,  is  at  least  entitled  to  a  prominent 
place  among  the  best  the  world  possesses.  If  the  future 
shall  not  reverse  the  history  of  the  past,  the  race  will  con- 
tinue to  draw  from  these  fountains  its  richest  nourishment 
for  the  life  that  now  is.  The  knowledge  it  imparts  can  be 
gained  from  no  other  source,  or  from  no  other  source 
so  well.  Nor  is  any  other  knowledge  so  important  to  man  as 
that  given  in  the  Bible.  It  has  the  promise  of  the  life  that 
now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come.  The  great  books,  the 
enduring  books,  the  vital  books,  have  owed  their  best  in- 
spiration to  its  influence.  Its  vitality  is  only  to  be  accounted 
for  by  its  intrinsic  excellence.  As  literature  has  no  peer  to 
this  matchless  'book  of  books,'  so  it  can  have  no  substitute 
for  it. 

3 — "We  ought  to  strengthen  and  enlarge  the  depart- 
ment of  Bible  instruction  in  this  Institution  because  we  be- 
lieve in  it.  The  body  of  people  known  as  'Disciples'  have 
from  the  first  placed  special  emphasis  on  Bible  study.  The 
college  founded  at  Bethany,  West  Va.,  by  Alexander  Camp- 
bell,  made  this  its  corner  stone.  In  an  address  delivered  at 
Bethany,  May  31,  1858,  on  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of 
Bethany  College,  Mr.  Campbell  said : — 'From  the  origin  of 
Bethany  College  on  the  first  Monday  of  November,  1841, 
till  this  day,  a  period  of  sixteen  years,  there  has  been  a 
Bible  study  and  a  Bible  lecture  for  every  college  day  in  the 
college  year.  The  Bible  is  read,  as  it  was  written,  in  chrono- 
logical order,  and  a  lecture  on  every  reading  is  delivered, 
exegetical  of  its  facts  and  documents,  historical,  chrono- 
logical, geographical ;  whether  they  be  natural,  moral,  or 
religious,  in  reference  to  the  past,  the  present,  and  the 
future  of  man.  Theories,  speculations  sometimes  called 
doctrines,  faith,  orthodoxy,  heterodoxy,  come  not  within  the 


278  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

legitimate  era  of  collegiate,  literar}-,  moral,  or  Christian  edu- 
cation. '■'  '•'  "  "  In  this  corner-stone  we  deposit  a  copy 
of  the  Holy  Bible,  not  to  bury  it  in  the  earth,  but  as  a  monu- 
mental symbol  of  the  fact  that  this  Book,  this  everlasting 
document  ought  to  be  the  true  and  proper  foundation  of 
every  Literary,  Scientific,  Moral  and  Religious  institution — 
essential  to  the  perfect  and  complete  development  of  man  in 
his  whole  constitution — as  a  citizen  of  the  commonwealth, 
a  citizen  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  and  heir  of  the  universe 
through  all  the  cycles  of  an  eternal  future.' 

"As  a  people  we  have  an  abiding  faith  in  these  principles 
and  in  this  book.  We  believe  that  any  education  which  is 
not  molded  by  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  is  so  far  defective. 
We  believe  that  the  Bible  as  a  text  book  should  be  studied 
every  day  in  everyone  of  our  colleges,  and  that  a  student 
graduating  from  one  of  these  institutions  should  know  the 
Bible  better  than  he  knows  any  other  book.  Ought  we  not 
to  conform  our  practice  to  our  faith  ? 

4 — "We  ought  to  give  more,  and  more  thorough  atten- 
tion to  Bible  instruction  in  this  Institution,  because  it  is  a 
crying  need  of  the  times.  We  want  this  Institution  to  be 
abreast  of  the  needs  of  the  hour.  On  account,  therefore,  of 
the  pressing  need,  we  ought  to  meet  this  demand. 

5 — "And  finally,  numbers  of  young  men  come  to  this 
Institution  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  themselves  for  the  min- 
istry of  the  ^^'ord  of  God,  and  this  number  could  be  easily 
increased  if  the  Institution  were  fairly  well  equipped  to  give 
the  requisite  training.  It  surely  needs  no  argument  to  prove 
that  if  this  Institution  invites  and  encourages  such  persons 
\o  come  here,  it  is  under  weighty  obligations  to  furnish  suit- 
able instruction ;  that  the  whole  man  may  be  educated,  body 
and  soul,  and  so  fully  equipped  for  every  good  work  in  the 
world." 

Mr.  William  Bowler  followed  Mr.  Hall  in  a  brief  ad- 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1883-1888.  279 

dress  full  of  thankfulness  for  what  had  been  done  and  full 

of  hope  for  the  future.     Among  all  the 

!,     ,  Trustees    from    the    beo-innino-    none    is 

Wm.  Bowler.  _f  .   ^^ 

worthier  of  the  title     Trustee  of  Hope 

than  Mr.  Bowler ;  and  his  hope  was  always  based  on  his 
invincible  faith — a  faith  always  supplemented  by  his  unsel- 
fish works. 

Brief  addresses  were  made  by  Judge  H.  C.  White,  and 
W.  J.  Ford,  students  of  the  old  Eclectic,  and  by  E.  B.  Wake- 
field, one  of  the  first  graduates  of  the  col- 

legfe.     Mr.   Teachout  then  presented  the 
Addresses.  °  ,       ^  1  •   1 

new  building  to  the  Trustees,  which  was 

accepted  on  their  part  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Rhodes,  with  appropri- 
ate remarks ;  who  in  turn  committed  it  to  the  care  of  the 
Faculty  through  President  G.  H.  Laughlin. 

It  was  a  great  day  for  the  college  when  the  new  build- 
ing was  completed  and  ready  for  use.    It  settled  the  question 

of   location    permanently.     It   established 
A  Great  Day.        the  fact  that  the  Institution  had   friends 

that  would  not  let  it  starve  or  perish.  It 
also  settled  the  question  whether  the  "Disciples  of  Christ" 
would  sustain  an  Institution  whose  management  was  loyal 
to  the  terms  of  its  charter  and  true  to  the  faith  which  in- 
spired and  moved  its  founders.  The  many  friends  of  Hiram 
v/ere  agreeably  surprised  when  they  came  to  look  through 
the  completed  edifice  so  elaborate  and  withal  so  roomy,  on 
that  bleak  winter  day.  The  original  building  at  Hiram  was 
small  compared  with  the  new  one  of  which  it  was  now  a 
part.  The  front  of  the  new  building  is  the  same  in  width 
as  the  old.  Its  depth  is  103  feet.  It  is  three  stories  high 
exclusive  of  the  basement,  and  its  tower  has  an  elevation  of 
113  feet.  In  the  basement  are  found  the  furnaces  by  which 
the  building  is  heated.  As  it  was  when  it  came  from  the 
hands  of  the  Building  Committee  in  1887,  on  the  first  floor 


28o  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

was  a  large  hall,  at  the  end  of  which  were  the  commercial 
room  and  the  laboratory.  On  one  side  was  the  apparatus 
room  and  two  large  recitation  rooms.  At  the  end  of  the 
hall  in  the  second  story  was  the  chapel,  large,  airy,  and  beau- 
tifully frescoed.  On  this  story  also  were  found  the  library 
and  reading  rooms  and  four  large  recitation  rooms.  In  the 
third  story  were  the  museum,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms,  and  the 
three  society  rooms.  By  the  erection  of  other  buildings  in 
Hiram  the  purpose  of  some  of  the  parts  of  the  building 
described  has  changed,  but  outwardly  it  is  as  it  appeared  in 
1887.  The  entire  cost  of  the  work  up  to  the  day  of  dedica- 
tion as  shown  by  the  carefully  prepared  report  of  the  Treas- 
urer was  $22,999.47,  of  which  $9,286.80  remained  unpaid 
but  with  $2,875  o^  unpaid  subscriptions  to  be  collected,  leav- 
ing a  debt  over  all  pledges  of  $6,411.80. 

During  the  fifty  years  of  its  history  Hiram  College  has 
employed  a  large  number  of  persons  as  Solicitors  or  Finan- 
cial Agents.     Some  of  these  have  served 
■^  _  for  only  a  brief  period,  others  for  a  longer 

time.     Some  have  had  but  little  success, 
Agent  s 
Experiences.         Others  have  done  much.    During  the  life- 
time of  the  Eclectic  Institute  not  less  than 
twenty-five  persons  were  elected  solicitors.    William  Hayden 
is  the  first  one  named.    Of  all  these  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding  was 

by  far  the  most  successful  in  his  efforts 
Dr.  W.  A.  Balding.  .  rr,,  j     j  i.    1 

to  raise  money.    The  records  do  not  show 

in  any  detail  the  aggregate  amount  of  work  that  he  did  or 
its  result;  but  they  do  show  that  from  October  14,  1851, 
when  he  was  first  "employed  by  the  Board  to  act  as  general 
solicitor  and  collector"  to  the  end  of  his  service  which  cov- 
ered several  years,  that  he  was  active  and  successful.  Dr. 
Belding  was  present  at  the  meeting  at  A.  L.  Soule's  in 
Russell,  O.,  when  the  first  formal  steps  were  taken  to  estab- 
lish the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute.  So  far  as  known 


",i4 


TKACllOr  |-   L11;i;AK\     and  OHSKIIN  a  IOKN   ;      Kkt(  TRi.   IX   1!H)(). 
(Unkinishei>.) 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1883-188S.  28 1 

he  is  the  only  one  living  of  all  those  who  made  up  that 
important  body  June  12,  1849.  Referring  to  that  meeting 
and  to  his  work  for  Hiram  Dr.  Belding  says : — "I  was  pres- 
ent at  that  meeting,  and  when  the  plan  was  agreed  upon  and 
the  determination  was  made  to  go  ahead  with  the  work,  I 
was  selected  as  its  financial  and  general  agent.  The  raising 
of  the  sum  needed  for  such  an  enterprise  seemed  like  a  great 
undertaking  for  a  people  so  weak  financially  and  so  few  in 
numbers.  But  I  succeeded  in  raising  the  first  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  Western  Re- 
serve Eclectic  Institute,  which  has  since  grown  into  the  well- 
known  and  reputable  educational  institution  called  Hiram 
College.  I  naturally  feel  proud  of  the  work  there  inaugu- 
rated and  so  prosperously  carried  on.  God's  blessing  has 
attended  it  from  the  first,  and  many  noble  men  and  women 
have  gone  forth  from  its  halls,  who  have  honored  the  Insti- 
tution, and  aided  to  fill  the  world  with  the  knowledge  and 
spirit  there  impressed  upon  them."*  Warren  Asa  Belding 
was  born  at  Randolph,  O.,  September  5,  1816,  and  is  yet 
living  in  Troy,  New  York,  in  his  85th  year  serene  and  tran- 
quil in  the  "full  assurance  of  faith"  that  he  will  soon  enter 
that  city  whose  "builder  and  maker  is  God."  During  his 
long  ministry  he  has  baptized  over  12,000  persons;  has 
raised  large  sums  of  money  for  church  buildings,  and  for 
other  purposes ;  has  established  many  churches  and  is  en- 
titled to  the  quiet  he  now  so  much  enjoys. 

W.  J.  Ford  was  first  "employed  to  act  as  Solicitor  and 
Collector"  for  Hiram  November  9,  1858.     In  years  of  con- 
tinuous service  he  held  the  place  lonerer 
W.  J.  Ford.  .  .  .       ,      ,  .  "^   , 

than  any  other  person  m  the  history  of 

the  Institution.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  in  1856  to  succeed  his  father,  J.  A.  Ford.    He  was 


♦Biography  of  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding,  p.  72. 


282  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

a  faithful  and  successful  agent  and  well  merited  the  thanks 
of  the  Board,  frequently  and  freely  tendered  to  him.  He 
had  many  interesting  experiences  during  his  long  period  of 
service.  He  is  still  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
retains  much  of  the  ardor  of  his  first  love  for  the  Institution 
for  which  he  has  done  so  much.  He  was  born  in  Burton, 
O.,  Nov.  23,  1832,  and  is  living  on  a  farm  north  of  Hiram 
at  the  present  time.  The  following  resolution  was  passed 
by  the  Board  at  the  conclusion  of  Air.  Ford's  long  term  of 
service: — "That  W.  J.  Ford  has  served  with  fidelity  and 
unusual  success  the  Eclectic  Institute  and  Hiram  College, 
and  is  entitled  to  the  gratitude  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  the 
stockholders,  and  all  friends  of  the  college  for  the  industry, 
perseverence,  and  ability  which  for  a  period  of  twelve  years 
he  performed  the  duties  of  Solicitor  for  the  Western  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute  and  Hiram  College." 

Lathrop  Cooley  was  elected  Financial  Agent  of  Hiram 
College  May  16,  1871,  at  the  beginning  of  the  administra- 
Lathrop  tion   of   President  B.   A.   Flinsdale,   and 

Cooley.  served  through  a  very  critical  period  in 

the  financial  history  of  the  college.  When  he  began  his  v/ork 
Mr.  Cooley  had  been  for  many  years  a  noted  preacher  among 
the  Disciples  in  Northern  Ohio.  He  had  a  wide  acquaintance 
with  the  membership  of  the  church,  and  a  business  sagacity 
which  had  its  influence  among  business  men.  His  experi- 
ences during  his  numerous  canvasses  would  make  an  inter- 
esting story  if  given  in  detail.  Mr.  Cooley 's  history  is  full 
of  interesting  facts.  He  was  born  in  Genesee  county,  New 
York,  October  25,  1821.  In  1829  he  came  to  Mantua,  Ohio. 
From  the  age  of  nine  until  eighteen  he  worked  on  a  farm 
and  in  a  shop  summers,  and  attended  District  school  in 
the  winter.  In  this  way  he  learned  to  be  a  farmer  and  a 
wagon-maker.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  with  the  ministry  of 
the  Word  of  God  in  view,  he  entered  Brooklyn  Academy, 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1S83-1888.  2S3 

near  Cleveland,  paying  his  expenses  while  there  by  working 
morning  and  evening  at  his  trade.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
two  he  began  to  preach ;  the  first  two  years  of  his  ministry 
were  spent  mostly  in  Lorain  county,  traveling  on  horseback 
and  preaching  in  school-houses  and  in  shops.  At  that  time 
there  were  no  settled  preachers  between  the  Cuyahoga  and 
Vermillion  rivers.  Some  of  the  time  he  traveled  in  company 
with  William  Hayden,  who  was  preaching  and  holding  meet- 
ings in  that  territory.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  v/as 
called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Franklin  Circle  Church  in 
Cleveland,  then  Ohio  City,  which  had  been  organized  by 
John  Henry  February  20,  1842.  J'.Ir.  Cooley  was  a  charter 
member  of  this  church,  which  at  that  time  met  in  a  little 
hall  on  Detroit  street  hill.  His  first  salary  was  $100  and 
board  with  the  brethren.  On  April  12,  1846,  he  organized 
a  Sunday-school  or  "Bible  School."  This  was  probably  the 
first  Sunday-school  organized  by  the  Disciples'  in  the  State 
of  Ohio.  In  185 1  he  was  sent  into  northern  Illinois  as  a 
preacher  and  missionary.  For  a  time  he  located  there 
preaching  in  Chicago  and  outlying  districts.  In  1853  he 
returned  to  Ohio  and  for  a  year  was  employed  as  an  organ- 
izing evangelist  by  the  Ohio  Christian  Missionary  Society. 
During  the  same  year  he  took  charge  of  the  church  at  North 
Royalton,  O.,  where  he  remained  for  eight  years,  supplying 
the  pulpit  at  different  times  outside  of  Royaltpn,  at  Cleve- 
land, Bedford  and  Stow.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  was 
called  to  the  Church  at  Painesville,  Ohio,  where  he  remained 
until  1866.  From  Painesville  he  went  to  Akron  as  preacher 
and  pastor  of  the  High  Street  Church,  where  he  remained  un- 
til 1872.  After  leaving  Akron  he  preached  for  the  churches  on 
Miles  avenue  and  Franklin  avenue  in  Cleveland  for  about 
two  years.  At  the  beginning  of  President  Hinsdale's  admin- 
istration at  Hiram,  he  was  elected  Financial  Agent  of  the 
college  but  was  not  able  to  devote  himself  wholly  to  that 


2S4  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

work  until  1874.  In  the  fall  of  1874  he  made  a  journey  to 
Egypt  and  Palestine.  On  his  return  in  the  spring  of  1875 
he  was  called  to  the  church  in  North  Eaton,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1877.  He  then  returned  to  Cleveland,  where, 
unaided  and  with  little  encouragement  from  anyone,  he  pur- 
chased from  the  German  Reformed  Body,  a  church  building 
on  Erie  street  and  organized  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Cedar  Avenue  Disciple  Church.  This  church,  with  its  con- 
venient building,  growing  from  a  little  handful  of  members 
to  its  present  large  and  influential  membership,  will,  so  long 
as  it  endures,  testify  to  Mr.  Cooley's  courage,  devotion, 
liberality  and  faith  in  the  triumph  of  the  simple  story  of  the 
primitive  and  Apostolic  doctrine.  In  1880  he  took  charge 
of  the  Cleveland  Bethel,  and  for  several  years  was  its  Super- 
intendent and  Chaplain.  From  1889  to  1892  he  was  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Medina.  Though  he  does  not  now  take 
upon  himself  the  burden  of  regular  local  work,  yet  the  Sun- 
days are  few  that  he  does  not  preach  somewhere.  For  57 
years  his  voice  has  been  a  familiar  one  to  the  people  and 
churches  of  northern  Ohio.  He  is  in  good  health  and  vigor- 
ous for  a  man  of  four-score  years  and  anticipates  completing 
his  60  years  in  preaching  the  simple  Gospel  of  Christ. 

June  II,  1879,  the  Board  of  Trustees  adopted  the  fol- 
lowing resolution :    "That  Alanson  Wilcox  be  employed  as 
Alanson  Financial  Agent  of  Hiram  College  for  the 

Wilcox.  coming  year — his  whole  time  to  be  given 

to  the  interests  of  the  college,  providing  that  it  can  be  done 
without  interfering  w'ith  the  present  obligations  of  the 
Board."  At  the  time  of  his  election  Mr.  Wilcox  was  not  a 
novice  in  the  kind  of  work  which  was  required  of  him.  He 
had  had  considerable  experience  in  raising  money  and  in 
interesting  the  churches  and  people  in  special  enterprises. 
He  was  vigorous  in  body,  quick  in  action,  with  tact  that 
enabled  him  to  find  the  right  side  of  approach  generally 


A  CRISIS  AND   HOVv^  IT  WAS  MET,    1SS3-18S8.  2S5 

without  giving  offense,  a  good  evangel  of  the  interests  of 
Hiram.  He  was  especially  valuable  in  interesting  young 
people  in  the  school,  and  in  searching  for  those  who  by  their 
wills  would  make  the  Institution  a  beneficiary.  His  annual 
reports,  extending  over  a  period  of  five  years,  are  models 
in  that  they  present  in  detail  what  he  did,  where  he  went, 
and  the  results  so  far  as  they  could  be  tabulated.  At  the 
time  of  his  service  he  found  that  the  Disciples  within  the 
territory  traversed  were  not  a  wealthy  people ;  that  having 
made  what  property  they  had  "by  economy  and  not  by  com- 
merce," they  lacked  a  spirit  of  liberality  in  educational  mat- 
ters ;  that  the  ministry  of  the  Disciple  churches  were  not 
specially  interested  in  the  college  and  its  work ;  and  that  the 
old  students  of  Hiram  lacked  an  enthusiasm  in  her  behalf 
that  he  had  hoped  to  find.  He  also  found  the  foot-tracks 
of  the  agents  of  other  colleges  ahead  of  his.  He  made  a 
vigorous  effort  to  change  these  conditions  and  he  had  a  fair 
measure  of  success.  On  his  election  as  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary of  the  Ohio  Christian  Missionary  Society  in  1884,  he 
closed  his  work  as  Financial  Agent  of  the  college,  though 
his  interest  in  behalf  of  Hiram  and  work  in  her  behalf  have 
continued  to  the  present  time.  In  1889  he  was  elected  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  a  position  he  yet  holds.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  Secretary  of  the  Board  since  1898.  Mr.  Wilcox 
was  born  in  Hinckley,  Medina  county,  Ohio,  February  23, 
1832.  His  father.  Dr.  Orlando  Wilcox,  was  an  eminent 
physician  of  Connecticut  birth  and  a  strenuous  advocate  of 
temperance.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he  organized  the  first 
temperance  society  ever  organized  in  Ohio.  He  traces  his 
ancestors  back  260  years  to  the  north  of  England.  He  re- 
ceived his  earliest  education  in  the  common  school  at  Hinck- 
ley, and  in  the  academies  at  Hinckley  and  Richfield,  and 
Baldwin  Institute  at  Berea.  He  entered  Hiram  as  a  student 
in  the  fall  of  1855  and  received  instruction   from  Thomas 


386  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Munnell,  Norman  Dunshee,  Almeda  Booth,  H.  W.  Everest, 
J.  H.  Rhodes  and  James  A.  Garfield.  He  was  a  student  in 
Hiram  for  three  years  and  received  a  certificate  of  scholar- 
ship from  his  teachers  when  he  left.  The  college  conferred 
on  him  the  degree  of  A.  M.  in  1892,  and  assigned  him  to  the 
Class  of  1 87 1.  He  began  to  teach  school  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen. He  began  to  preach  before  leaving  Hiram  and  occu- 
pied pulpits  at  Garrettsville,  Burton,  Mantua,  and  Crestline, 
in  Ohio.  He  spent  several  years  in  Michigan  at  Vandalia, 
and  Paw  Paw,  where  his  work  was  successful.  He  then 
evangelized  in  Pennsylvania  and  West  Virginia.  After  this 
he  spent  three  years  with  the  church  at  Muir,  Michigan,  and 
in  1866  did  evangelistic  work  in  that  state.  From  Michigan 
he  went  to  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  three  years, 
in  the  meantime  planting  two  churches  in  New  Hampshire 
and  one  in  Rhode  Island.  From  1871  to  1873  ^"^^  was  pastor 
of  the  Hazlewood  Church,  Pittsburg,  Pa.  From  1874  to 
1878  he  was  pastor  of  the  Franklin  Avenue  Church  in  Cleve- 
land, O.  From  1879  to  1884  he  was  Financial  Agent  of 
Hiram  College.  From  1884  to  1895  ^^^  was  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  Ohio  Christian  Missionary  Society.  From 
that  time  he  has  been  an  all-around  helper  in  Sunday-school, 
college,  and  church  work.  At  present  he  is  pastor  of  the 
Third  Christian  Church  in  Youngstown,  Ohio.  He  has  been 
a  faithful  and  tireless  worker  during  all  these  years  and  is 
worthy  of  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held.  He  united 
v.'ith  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Stow,  O.,  in  185 1,  and  counts 
himself  as  starting  from  that  place,  which  he  denominates 
"The  mother  of  preachers,"  for  out  from  that  church  have 
gone  J.  Carroll  Stark,  Leonard  Southmayd,  Alanson  Wil- 
cox, F.  M.  Green,  George  Musson,  and  others. 

O.  C.  Atwater,  as  Financial  Agent  of  the  college,  began 
his  work  April  I,  1886,  and  continued  until  the  new  building 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT   WAS  MET,    1883-1888.  2S7 

was  completed  in  1887.  He  had  a  diffi- 
Orris  C.  Atwater.  cult  field  to  work  and  the  obstacles  in  his 
way  were  many,  but  with  unfaltering 
faith  he  proceeded  on  his  mission  until  he  reached  a  good 
measure  of  success.  His  reports  were  not  so  plethoric  of 
money,  as  of  certain  other  facts  which  impressed  themselves 
on  him  as  he  went  on  with  his  work.  These  facts  represent 
the  experiences  of  all  financial  agents  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree. 

First,  he  was  requested  not  to  canvass  certain  places, 
tlnis  closing  the  door  for  some  possible  returns ;  second,  he 
was  received  by  most  people  kindly,  though  occasionally  the 
reception  was  hostile ;  third,  he  found  that  there  was  an  un- 
developed interest  in  the  work,  and  for  the  most  part  this 
interest  centered  in  its  religious  work ;  fourth,  that  it  was 
needful  to  push  on  the  religious  work  of  the  college  in  order 
to  draw  both  pupils  and  funds  from  wide  fields ;  fifth,  that 
no  help  is  so  cheap  or  so  effective  as  that  of  preachers  when 
they  are  once  interested  in  the  work.  They  are  free  agents 
in  the  churches  they  represent ;  sixth,  there  is  need  of  con- 
tinual advertising  by  the  Financial  Agent,  in  the  papers,  by 
circulars,  by  the  President,  by  the  Faculty,  by  the  preachers, 
and  by  the  students ;  and  finally,  "Our  churches  have  not 
been  enthusiastic  about  Hiram,  because  Hiram  has  not  been 
enthusiastic  about  them.  Once  show  them  that  Hiram  will 
do  the  v/ork  that  they  desire  and  help  will  be  found  for  us." 
Mr.  Atwater's  work  was  well  done.  His  subscriptions  were 
carefully  taken  and  there  was  but  little  shrinkage  on  col- 
lection. 

A  brief  chronology  of  his  honorable  and  faithful  life 
follows : — Orris  Clapp  Atwater,  the  oldest  son  of  Darwin 
and  Harriet  Clapp  Atwater,  was  born  at  Mantua,  Portage 
county,  Ohio,  September  6,  1833.  ^^  was  educated  first  of 
all,  at  home  by  godly  parents.     His  school  life  began  in  the 


2bO  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

district  school  of  his  vicinity.  He  entered  Hiram  in  1850  on 
the  first  day  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute.  He 
attended  the  school  at  Hiram  about  one  term  a  year  until 
1858,  when  he  went  to  Oberlin.  He  remained  at  Oberlin 
through  the  college  years  1859  and  i860.  In  1861  he  entered 
Williams  College  and  graduated  with  the  class  of  that  year, 
receiving  the  academic  Degree  of  A.  B.  In  1 861-2  he  taught 
school  at  Edwardsport,  Ind.  September  3,  1862,  he  married 
Miss  Huldah  A.  Jackson,  a  student  at  Hiram  for  three  years 
and  a  graduate  of  Oberlin.  In  1862  and  1863  he  and  his 
wife  taught  at  Eaton  Rapids,  Mich.  From  1863  to  1865  he 
and  Mrs.  Atwater  taught  in  the  High  School  of  Circleville, 
Ohio.  In  1866  he  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Rushville, 
Ind.  During  the  same  year  he  returned  to  Hiram  to  attend 
the  first  course  of  lectures  to  preachers.  From  1867  to  1872 
he  had  charged  of  his  father's  farm  in  Mantua,  preaching 
on  Sundays  at  Alantua.  Shalersville,  Newton  Falls,  and  oc- 
casionally elsewhere.  July  8,  1873,  he  was  formally  set  apart 
to  the  ministry  of  the  Word  of  God.  In  1874  he  preached 
for  a  mission  church  at  East  Brimfield,  Mass.  From  1874 
to  1879  he  preached  for  the  churches  at  Carthage  and  South 
Butler,  New  York.  From  1879  to  1884  he  was  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Randolph,  Ohio.  From  1884  to  1887  he 
preached  at  Mantua,  and  April  i,  1886,  he  was  elected  Finan- 
cial Agent  of  Hiram  College  and  served  for  a  little  more 
than  one  year.  In  1887  he  located  at  Greencastle,  Ind.,  where 
he  remained  until  1889.  From  1890  to  1893  he  preached  in 
Iowa  and  Nebraska,  principally  at  Falls  City  and  Kearney. 
Since  then  his  home  has  been  at  Bethany,  Nebraska.  From 
here  he  goes  out  to  preach  but  without  removing  his  family. 
His  two  children,  Charles  Jackson  Atwater,  and  Ellen  Bessie 
Atwater,  were  both  much  loved  students  of  Hiram  College. 
Ellen  was  at  Hiram  from  1884  to  1888,  received  the  Degree 
of  A.  B.  from  Cotner  University  in  1891,  and  at  present  is 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1SS3-1SSS.  3S9 

Professor  of  History  and  English  in  that  Institution. 
Charles  graduated  at  Hiram  in  1888.  He  was  also  a  gradu- 
ate student  in  De  Pauw  University,  and  the  University  of 
Chicago.  After  serving  as  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages, 
in  Fairfield  College,  Nebraska,  from  1892- 1894,  and  Pro- 
fessor of  Greek  in  Oskaloosa  College,  Iowa,  from  1895  to 
1896,  he  died  greatly  mourned  at  Oskaloosa  March  4,  1897. 
He  was  greatly  beloved  for  many  admirable  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart. 

In  these  sketches  of  Financial  Agents  from  the  found- 
ing of  the  Eclectic  Institute  to  the  close  of  the  period  under 
consideration  no  special  mention  is  made  of  a  large  number 
of  persons  who  did  much  in  raising  money  and  creating 
interest  in  the  Institution;  but  only  those  are  sketched  who 
were  formally  elected  by  the  Board  as  Financial  Agents,  and 
in  time  and  results  made  an  impression  on  its  affairs.  Prin- 
cipals and  Presidents  of  the  Institute  and  the  College,  mem- 
bers of  the  Faculty,  trustees,  preachers,  and  distinguished 
citizens,  at  one  time  or  another,  have  done  much  in  the 
same  field  for  the  financial  and  other  interests  of  Hiram, 
and  deserve  to  be  remembered  for  what  they  have  done. 

Immediately  on  the  resignation  of  President  Laughlin 
the  Board  began  a  search  for  a  successor.  After  consider- 
able correspondence  Professor  W.  H. 
Looking  for  a  Woolery,  of  Bethany,  West  Va.,  was 
New  President.  unanimously  chosen,  at  a  salary  of  $1,500. 
June  7,  1887,  Mr.  Woolery  accepted  the 
position.  In  his  letter  of  acceptance  to  O.  C.  Atwater,  Sec- 
retary pro.  tail,  of  the  Board,  he  said : — "Yours  of  June  4, 
informing  mc  that  I  am  elected  President  of  Hiram  College, 
came  to  hand  yesterday.  I  accept  the  position,  and  express 
througii  you  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  my  appreciation  of 
the  high  place  with  which  they  have  honored  me.  I  promise 
with  the  co-operation  of  the  friends  of  Hiram  to  work  for 


290  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

the  continued  usefulness  of  the  school  and  for  a  large  con- 
stituency to  which  we  may  appeal.  With  many  thanks  for 
the  Board's  confidence,  Yours  Fraternally,  W.  H.  Woolery." 
Mr.  Woolery  was  a  man  of  fine  physical  presence,  a 
wcll-cultured  mind,  a  genial  heart,  and  good  executive  abil- 
ity, and  his  selection  was  looked  upon  with  great  favor  by 
the  friends  of  Hiram  who  knew  him.  But  in  less  than  a 
month  from  the  date  of  his  letter  of  acceptance  he  wrote 
another  recalling  his  acceptance  and  declining  the  election. 
This  letter  was  accompanied  by  one  from  President  W.  K. 
Pendleton,  of  Bethany.  It  is  not  necessary  to  enter  into 
details  concerning  the  matter.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the 
reasons  given  for  his  change  of  attitude  by  Mr.  Woolery 
v.-ere  accepted  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram  and  a  new 
committee  began  its  search  for  a  President.  That  comm.it- 
tee  consisted  of  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  William  Bowler,  and 
Lathrop  Cocley. 

During  the  year  ending  June,    1888,  the  college  was 
without  a  President  and  the  modest  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics and  Astronomy,  Colman  Bancroft, 
Prof.  C.  Bancroft     '^^^^  chosen  "Chairman  of  the   Faculty" 
Chairman  of         and  acted  as  President  for  the  year.     In 
the  Faculty.         his  report  June  14,  1888,  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees  Mr.   Bancroft  said : — "You  are 
familiar  with  the  circumstances  that  led  to  my  very  reluctant 
acceptance  for  the  year  now  closing,  of  the  title  "Chairman 
of  the  Faculty."     This  modest  place  brought  upon  me  in 
addition  to  the  work  of  an  instructor,  a  considerable  part  of 
the  duties  usually  devolving  upon  the  College   President. 
Though  unaccustomed  to  such   duties,  and  having  at  my 
disposal  little  time  to  do  all  that  clearly  ought  to  be  done 
for  a  school  by  its  presiding  officer,  the  ready  co-operation 
of  the  Faculty  has  secured  a  fairly  prosperous  year.     The 
teachers  have  without  exception  been  competent  and  thor- 
ough in  their  instruction,  and,  for  the  most  part,  the  students 


I 


A  CRISIS  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MET,    1883-1888.  29I 

have  taken  satisfactory  rank  in  their  classes."    An  epidemic 
of  measles  among  the  students  seriously  interfered  with  the 
work  of  the  winter  term,  and  resulted  fatally  in  the  case  of 
two  or  three  students.    There  had  been,  however,  no  serious 
diminution  of  interest  in  any  of  the  college  departments  and 
the  year  came  to  its  close  with  inimerous  signs  of  promise. 
In  the  meantime  the  committee  to  select  a  President 
had  not  been  idle,  and  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  January  i8,  1888,  they  made  the 
Election  of  follov/ing     report :  —  "The     undersigned 

E.  V.  Zollars.  committee  respectfully  recommend  the 
election  of  E.  V.  Zollars  as  President  of 
Hiram  College  at  a  salary  of  $1,600  per  year,  his  term  of 
office  to  begin  at  the  close  of  the  current  college  year."  The 
report  of  the  committee  was  unanimously  adopted  by  the 
Board  and  Mr.  Zollars  was  declared  elected.  He  was  noti- 
fied of  the  action  of  the  Board  and  on  March  5,  1888,  his 
letter  of  acceptance  was  received  and  placed  on  file. 

At  the  close  of  Professor  Bancroft's  service  as  "Chair- 
man of  the  Faculty,"  the  Board  expressed  its  appreciation  of 
his    work    in    the    following   resolution : 
D    f  r>         c.        "That  the  thanks  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 

Proi.  Bancroft. 

tees  of  Hiram  College  be  hereby  expressed 
to  Professor  Bancroft  for  the  invaluable  service  he  has  ren- 
dered the  college  during  the  past  year  by  acting  as  its  Pres- 
ident, and  that  we  place  on  record  our  grateful  recognition 
of  his  faithful  and  efficient  services." 

The  Institution  had  now  passed  thirty-eight  years  of 
its  history.    It  had  had  its  days  of  doubt  and  its  days  of  hope. 
Sometimes  its  garments  had  been  too  small  to  cover  its  na- 
kedness and   again  they  were  full   size. 
Getting  Ready       Through  all  of  its  difficulties  and  over  all 
for  the  New         the  obstacles  in  its  way,  it  had  made  a 
Administration.       steady  though  slow  progress  until  it  was 
recoo'nized  as  a  College  of  no  mean  rank. 


-^92  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

It  had  enlarged  its  material  equipment  imtil  it  was  able  to 
accommodate  a  hoped-for  increase  of  students.  Its  society 
halls  were  new  and  handsomely  furnished.  Its  Board  of 
Trustees  was  composed  of  men,  many  of  whom  had  never 
rlinched  in  the  face  of  its  greatest  difficulties. 

Its  Faculty  had  been  tried  under  the  most  adverse  con- 
ditions and  had  been  found  true.  In  temper  they  were  con- 
genial and  they  worked  in  harmony  for  the  interests  of  the 
College.  Their  pay  was  small  but  their  hope  was  large.  In 
ability  and  experience  they  were  able  to  command  consider- 
ation for  the  departments  they  respectively  controlled. 

The  question  of  change  of  location  had  been  hushed  by 
the  logic  of  events ;  and  the  evidence  of  a  return  to  their 
"first  love"  was  manifest  on  every  hand  among  the  old  con- 
stituency of  Hiram.  One  had  been  called  to  the  presidency 
who  was  not  a  novice  in  the  management  of  schools ;  and 
although  a  stranger  to  the  personal  traditions  of  Hiram, 
had  fairly  compassed  the  situation  and  was  ready  to  act. 

During  the  great  contest  at  Gettysburg,  when  the  life    \ 
of  the  Republic  was  the  prize  of  battle,  a  color-bearer  was    , 
struck  down,  and  then  another  and  another,  and  courage 
was  put  to  the  highest  test.     The  colonel  of  the  regiment 
called  one  of  his  trusted  men  to  him  and  said:  "Sergeant,    ; 
take  this  flag,  bear  it  aloft,  do  not  surrender  it  in  dishonor,    i 
return  with  it  or  report  the  reason  why."    The  sergeant  re- 
ceived the  colors  and  marched  against  the  pitiless  hail  of  I 
war.    He  did  not  surrender  and  he  did  not  return  but  when 
the  battle  ceased  his  commander  knew  the  reason  why.    The 
Board  of  Trustees  said  to  the  President-elect,  "Take  the 
banner  of  Hiram  College  and  bear  it  unsullied  and  without 
dishonor  or  report  the  reason  why."    He  accepted  the  trust 
and  what  he  did,  and  how  he  did  it,  will  be  the  interesting 
subject  of  the  next  chapter  of  Hiram's  history. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Hiram    College— Administration    of    E.    V.    Zollars. 
1888— 1900. 

There  are  certain  qualities  of  mind  and  character  essen- 
tial in  a  College  President  to  fit  him  for  the  successful  ad- 
ministration of  college  afifairs.    It  is  impossible  to  manufac- 
ture   College    Presidents    to   order;    like 
Essential  Elements    poets  thcy  must  be  born,  not  made.     He 
in  a  should  have  judgment,  tact,  and  be  well- 

College  President,  informed ;  with  grace  of  speech  and  "per- 
sistent though  cautious  in  method ;" 
joined  to  a  natural  fondness  for  administrative  detail  and 
for  problems  of  classification  and  of  organization.  And 
above  all  he  must  have  confidence  in  himself  and  faith  in 
his  undertaking. 

In  the  selection  of  E.  V.  Zollars  the  Board  of  Trustees 
were  fortunate.    He  had  the  essential  qualities  of  mind  and 
character.    Years  of  experience  had  demonstrated  his  ability 
as  an  administrator  of  the  details  of  a  suc- 
E.  V.  Zollars        ccssful  school.    He  had  a  fixed  and  clear 
a  Good  Selection,     ideal  of  what  a  Christian  College  should 
be,  with  confidence  that  it  could  be  reached 
if  the  proper  assistance  was  rendered.    In  his  acceptance  of 
the  Presidency  he  was  not  hasty  but  took  time  to  consider 
the  question  from  the  various  standpoints  of  personal   in- 
terest, local  and  general  church  interests,  and  the  interests 
of  Hiram  College.    February  10,  1888  he  accepted  the  trust 
in  a  letter  of  considerable  length  addressed  to  the  Board  of 


294  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGIA. 

Trustees  of  which  the  follov/ing  are  a  few  sentences :  "Allow 
me,  first  of  all,  to  express  to  you  my  sin- 
Mr.  Zollars  c^^°  thanks  for  this  mark  of  your  confi- 
Accepts  dence,  manifested  in  calling  me  to  a  po- 
the  Position.  sition  not  only  honorable  in  itself,  by  rea- 
son of  the  wonderful  possibilities  it  af- 
fords for  doing  a  great  and  important  work,  but  rendered 
doubly  so  by  reason  of  the  able  and  distinguished  men  that 
have  filled  it  with  such  credit  to  themselves,  to  the  Institu- 
tion and  to  the  cause  of  Christian  education.  Realizing  the 
v.-eight  of  responsibility  imposed  by  these  considerations,  I 
would  shrink  from  assuming  such  a  burden  were  it  not  for 
the  fact  that  your  call  comes  to  me  supplemented  by  the  so- 
licitations of  disinterested  men  for  whose  judgment  I  have 
a  profound  respect,  and  in  opposition  to  which,  I  feel  loath 
to  move.  Another  important  circumstance  in  enabling  nic 
to  reach  a  decision  is  the  fact  that  your  call  invites  me  to  a 
kind  of  work  to  which  I  have  given  ten  years  of  valuable 
time,  and  for  which  I  have  a  passionate  fondness.  Moved, 
therefore,  by  the  advice  of  men  of  discriminating  judgment, 
who  know  me  and  understand  the  work  to  which  you  call 
me ;  attracted  both  by  the  greatness  of  the  work  and  my  per- 
sonal love  for  it;  looking  upon  the  successful  past  history 
of  Hiram  College  as  the  guarantee  of  an  honorable 
future,  I  am  constrained  to  accept  your  most  flat- 
tering call,  believing  that  in  doing  so  I  am  moving  not  simply 
in  a  path  marked  out  for  me  by  the  judgment  of  wise  yet 
fallible  m^en,  but  in  a  line  of  duty  to  which  I  am  called  by  the 
Divine  Father,  to  whom  I  may,  therefore  confidently  look 
for  wisdom  and  support  in  discharge  of  the  grave  responsi- 
bilities imposed  upon  me.  To  maintain  the  present  high  lit- 
erary standard  of  the  Institution,  and  at  the  same  time  sup- 
plement the  various  courses  with  such  a  liberal  measure  of 
Bible  studv  as  the  exisfencies  of  the  case  and  the  demands 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1S8S-I9OO.  295 

of  the  times  require,  is,  in  my  judgment,  the  problem  of  the 
immicdiate  future.  Furthermore  the  question  of  ministerial 
education  is  one  of  increasing  interest  and  transcendent  im- 
portance. Never  before  was  the  call  for  educated  preachers 
so  great  as  it  is  at  the  present  time.  To  the  solution  of  these 
questions  I  shall,  therefore,  give  my  best  thought  and  great- 
est energies,  being  strengthened  by  the  consciousness  that  I 
shall  have  your  most  hearty  sympathy  and  co-operation,  as 
well  as  the  cordial  support  of  Hiram's  many  friends." 

When  Mr.  Zollars  entered  upon  his  work  as  President 
of  Hiram  College  he  was  41  years  of  age.     Physically  he 
^  was   strong  and  his  body  was  built  for 

Character  Sketch  hard  service.  His  mind  had  been  well 
disciplined  by  his  college  course  and  by 
many  years  of  service  as  teacher.  He  was  a  good  judge  of 
men  and  strong  in  his  power  to  persuade  them.  Pie  had  an 
idea  tliat  a  teacher  who  could  teach  was  one  who  could  "push 
forv/ard  the  limits  of  human  knowledge  in  some  direction, 
or  who  could  add  to  the  interpretations  of  the  knowledge 
which  we  already  possess ;  and  that  he  must  be  devoted  to 
a  particular  line  of  study ;  and  must  have  the  power  to  pur- 
sue researches,  the  will  to  continue  and  interpret  them,  and 
the  magnetic  attraction  which  will  draw  students  to  them 
and  fire  them  with  his  teacher  zeal  and  ambition."  This 
ability  enabled  him  to  usually  select  the  right  persons  for  his 
assistants  in  school  and  College  v/ork.  His  parents  were 
Christians  and  they  did  not  neglect  the  heart  culture  of  their 
son.  From  his  mother's  knee  he  was  trained  in  a  life  of 
virtue  and  of  Christian  service.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church  June  7,  1863,  and  along  the  pathway  he 
then  entered  he  has  not  faltered  for  a  day.  He  entered  Beth- 
any College  in  1871  and  graduated  from  that  institution  in 
1875,  sharing  the  first  honors  of  the  classical  Course  with 
E.  T.  Williams,  now  a  missionary  in  China,  delivering  the 


296  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Greek  salutatory.  Shortly  before  his  graduation  he  began 
preaching,  a  business  for  which  he  showed  a  decided  talent. 
Mr.  Zollars  is  a  strong  preacher,  and  on  great  occasions 
his  efforts  are  of  the  best.  His  Baccalaureate  sermons  have 
been  superior  in  thought  and  expression.  He  is  especially 
strong  in  enforcing  the  moral  phases  of  his  theme,  and  in 
his  power  of  persuasion.  For  a  year  after  his  graduation  he 
taught  Ancient  Languages  in  Bethany  College.  He  then 
spent  a  year  as  Financial  Agent  of  the  College  with  good 
success,  making  a  thorough  canvass  wherever  he  went.  It 
was  of  little  use  for  another  to  follow  him  after  he  had  gone 
over  the  field.  He  became  President  of  Kentucky  Classical 
and  Business  College  at  North  Middletown,  Ky.,  in  1877, 
and  remained  there  until  1884,  when  he  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  Garrard  Female  College  at  Lancaster,  Ky.,  where  he 
remained  one  year,  resigning  to  accept  a  call  to  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Christian  Church  at  Spring-field,  Illinois,  from 
whence  he  came  to  Hiram  in  1888. 

The  blood  of  the  sturdy  Hollander  and  the  dauntless 
Puritan  mingles  in  his  veins.  His  great-grandmother  was 
the  daughter  of  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  Socially 
he  is  warm-hearted  and  sympathetic,  quick  to  perceive  and 
prompt  to  act,  and  his  friendships  are  strong  and  abiding. 
Of  academic  degrees  he  received  that  of  A.  B.  and  A.  M. 
from  Bethany  and  LL.  D.  from  Hiram.  He  is  of  restless 
temperament  and  his  energy  is  incarnate 
E.  V.  Zollars'  in  every  vital  force  of  his  distinctly 
Chronology.  marked  personality.  Much  was  expected 
of  him  when  he  came  to  Hiram  and  much 
has  been  accomplished.  A  brief  chronology  of  his  life  fol- 
lows: 

E.  V.  Zollars  was  born  Sept.  19th,  1847,  O"  ^  farm  near 
lower  Salem,  Washington  County,  Ohio.  He  attended  a 
select  school  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  taught  by  Miss  Mary  Cone 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.  V.   ZOLLARS,   1S88-19OO.         297 

for  about  two  years  In  i860  and  1861.  Attended  prepara- 
tory department  of  Marietta  College  for  about  two  years 
from  1862  to  1863,  completing  the  work  required  for  en- 
trance to  the  freshman  class  of  this  institution.  Clerked  in 
a  grocery  store  in  Marietta  in  1864  and  married  October 
26th,  1865  to  Miss  Hulda  Louise  McAtee  of  Washington 
County,  Ohio.  Engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  a  short 
time  in  1865.  Engaged  in  farming  in  Washington  County 
from  the  spring  of  1866  to  the  summer  of  1871.  Entered 
Bethany  College  1871,  graduated  from  Bethany  College  in 
1875.  Taught  in  Bethany  the  session  of  1875  and  '"j^i,  filling 
the  adjunct  chair  of  Ancient  Languages.  Acted  as  Financial 
Secretary  Bethany  College  1876  and  1877,  still  retaining  the 
position  of  adjunct  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages.  Re- 
signed work  in  Bethany  College  in  June,  1877  and  accepted 
the  presidency  of  Kentucky  Classical  and  Business  College, 
■filling  this  position  for  seven  years.  Became  President  of 
Garrard  Female  College  in  the  fall  of  1884.  Became  pas- 
tor of  the  church  at  Springfield,  111.,  1885.  Served  in  this 
capacity  three  years.  Became  President  Hiram  College, 
1888.  The  following  is  a  list  of  books  and  pamphlets  writ- 
ten by  E.  V.  Zollars :  1893  and  1894,  Holy  Book  and  Sacred 
Day,  a  work  on  Biblical  introduction  printed  in  Garrettsville 
and  issued  by  Standard  Publishing  Co.  1894  and  1895,  Bible 
Geography,  published  by  Standard  Publishing  Co.  1895, 
Great  Salvation,  being  a  discussion  of  the  first  principles  of 
the  gospel.  Published  by  Standard  Publishing  Co.  He- 
brew Prophecy.  This  book  is  in  process  of  preparation  at 
the  present  time  and  is  nearly  completed ;  besides  numerous 
pamphlets. 

The  first  Faculty  of  Hiram  College  led  by  President 
Zollars  consisted  of  Colman  Bancroft,  Professor  of  Mathe- 
matics and  Astronomy;  George  H.  Colton,  Kerr  Professor 


298  HISTORY   OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

of  Natural  Science ;  George  A.  Peckham, 
President  ZoUars  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages  and  Lit- 
and  his  Faculty.      erature ;  Arthur  C.  Pierson,  Professor  of 

English  Literature  and  Modern  Lan- 
guages; Bailey  S.  Dean,  Professor  of  History;  Edwin  L. 
Hall,  Adjunct  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages;  Mary  B. 
Hamilton,  Principal  of  the  Ladies'  Department;  Addie  L. 
Zollars,  Teacher  of  Music;  Lilian  E.  Morgan,  Teacher  of 
Painting;  Benjamin  F.  Pritchard,  Principal  of  Commercial 
Department ;  A.  B.  Russell,  Teacher  of  Elocution ;  W.  H. 
Mooney,  and  G.  A.  Ragan,  Tutors  in  English  and  Prepar- 
atory Departments.  Several  of  these  were  teachers  of  long 
experience  and  held  a  high  place  as  scholars  in  their  respect- 
ive departments.  In  1890  Edmund  B.  Wakefield  was  elected 
Professor  of  Political  Science  and  Biblical  Theology;  Wil- 
liam A.  Knight,  Assistant  in  English  Department ;  E.  A. 
Ott,  Teacher  of  Elocution ;  John  Shackson,  J.  B.  Works, 
Mrs.  A.  A.  McCorkle,  Angle  B.  Proctor  and  H.  D.  Messick, 
Tutors  in  English  and  Preparatory  DepartmiCnts.  In  1891 
a  few  new  names  appear:  Cora  M.  Clark  was  elected  Pro- 
fessor of  Modern  Languages ;  Helen  B.  Pettibone,  Princi- 
pal of  Ladies'  Department;  C.  B.  Ellinwood,  Assistant 
Teacher  of  Music;  Helen  E.  King  and  Jennie  A.  Robison, 
Teachers  of  Painting;  Carl  B.  Harris,  Principal  of  Commer- 
cial Departm.ent ;  and  John  G.  Scorer,  Teacher  of  Elocution. 
In  1892  the  names  of  H.  H.  Howard,  Teacher  of  Paint- 
ing, and  Calvin  C.  Ryder,  Instructor  in  Natural  Science,  ap- 
pear. In  1893  Alonzo  Skidmore  appears  as  Professor  of 
English  and  Instructor  in  Ancient  Languages  ;  Lola  E.  Scott. 
Instructor  in  the  English  Department  and  in  Mathem.atics ; 
Mrs.  Emma  J.  Dean,  Teacher  of  China  Decoration  and  Pas- 
tel ;  Homer  W.  Campbell,  Principal  of  the  Business  Depart- 
ment ;  Mrs.  Hattle  L.  Barclay.-  Principal  of  Ladies'  Depart- 
ment ;  John  T.  Bridweli  and  ^^lyrta  G.  Parsons,  Tutors. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.   V.   ZOLLARS,    18SS-I9OO.  399 

In  1894  Harlan  M.  Page  was  elected  Professor  of  Bi- 
olog^-  and  Medical  Science;  Marcia  Henry,  Instructor  in  An- 
cient Languages  and  English;  Arthur  G.Harshman, Teacher 
of  Music;  A.  M.  Newins,  Teacher  of  Elocution;  Miss  Mary 
Graybiel,  Principal  of  Ladies'  Department ;  and  E.  J.  Smith, 
Tutor  in  Mathematics. 

In  1895  Marcia  Henry  became  Principal  of  the  Ladies' 
Department,  a  position  she  holds  to  the  present  time ;  Silas 
Warren  Pearcy,  Assistant  in  Ancient  Languages ;  Lula 
Freeman  Pearcy,  Teacher  of  Music ;  Alice  Cornelia  Brooks, 
Teacher  of  Landscape  Painting;  William  Edward  Adams, 
Principal  Departm.ent  of  Oratory;  Lora  Elma  Wire,  In- 
structor in  Physical  Culture  and  Elocution ;  Grace  Green- 
wood Finch,  Instructor  in  Physical  Culture;  and  Belle  Grif- 
fith, Delia  P.  Hart,  Mary  B.  Logue,  Charles  A.  Niman,  Ver- 
non Stauffer,  Mary  Wilson,  Tutors  in  Preparatory  Depart- 
ment. In  1896  Hugh  McDiarmid  was  elected  Professor  of 
New  Testament  Introduction  and  Christian  Doctrine ;  J.Irs. 
Dasa  Boden,  Teacher  of  Landscape  Painting;  Robert  P. 
Shepherd,  Instructor  in  Law  and  Political  Science ;  Elmer 
E.  Snoddy,  Instructor  in  Greek ;  Risher  W.  Thornberry,  and 
Olive  D.  Pearcy,  Instructors  in  Gymnasium  Work ;  and 
Charles  G.  Phillips,  Helen  Stoolfire,  Lulu  Phinney,  Ella  R. 
Dodd,  Eugene  B.  Dyson,  Walter  S.  Flertzog,  William  D. 
Van  Voorhis,  Marc  O.  Pinney,  Laura  F.  Craft,  Tutors  in 
Preparatory  Department. 

In  1897  Mayme  C.  Fuller  became  Assistant  Instructor 
in  Oratory ;  Eugene  Feuchtinger,  Director  of  Music  Con- 
servatory and  Teacher  of  Voice  Culture,  Piano,  Composi- 
tion,Theory  and  History;  Allie  M. Dean, Teacher  of  Flower 
and  Figure  Painting ;  James  Earnest  Dean,  Teacher  of  Free 
Hand  and  Mechanical  Drawing;  and  ErrettW.  McDiarmid, 
Tutor  in  Latin. 

In  1898  Kate  S.  Parmly  was  elected  Assistant  in  Ladies' 


300  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

Department  and  Teacher  of  Elocution;  Clara  L.  Whissen. 
Teacher  of  Piano  and  Violin ;  Elisha  Blackburn,  F.  B.  Mes- 
sing, Elizabeth  Carlton,  Instructors  in  Gymnasium  Work ; 
and  J.  A.  Miller,  R.  O.  Newcomb,  Karl  Hertzog,  Elizabeth 
Scott,  Tutors  in  Latin,  Algebra,  German,  and  English. 

In  1899  Ellsworth  F.  Burch  was  chosen  Teacher  of 
Commercial  Arithmetic  and  Correspondence ;  and  C.  M. 
Young,  S.  H.  Calender,  F.  C.  Landsittel,  Tutors  of  French 
and  English. 

In  1900  Frank  Home  Kirkpatrick  was  elected  Professor 
of  Oratory ;  William  AlcKenzie,  Principal  of  the  Business 
Department ;  Josephine  E.  Line,  Instructor  in  Physical 
Training ;  and  J.  W.  Wiseman,  W.  W.  Frost,  W.  W.  Wager, 
Tutors. 

The  annual  reports  of  President  Zollars  are  clear,  com- 
prehensive, and  in  detail  cover  all  departments  in  the  life  and 
progress  of  the  College.     No  better  view 

"^^^  can  be  had  of  the  internal  affairs  of  the 

Annual  Reports  of  ^   „  j         1,   ^^  1      •  r  ^u 

n     -J     .  ^  11  Lolleee,  and  no  better  general  view  01  the 
President  Zollars.  =»   '  .       °, 

condition  of  the  various  interests  involved, 

than  is  furnished  by  these  annual  reports. 

President  Zollars  made  his  first  report  to  the  Board  of 

Trustees  in  1889.    It  was  the  twenty-second  annual  report 

of  the  Institution  since  it  was  incorporated  as  a  College.  The 

total  increase  by  terms  in  the  enrollment 
1889 

was  102.     The  excess  of  enrollment  over 

the  preceding  year  was  30.    The  per  cent  of  gain  22.    The 

total  enrollment  by  terms  was  545,  v.'hich  represented  25 1 

different  students.    Of  the  year's  progress  Mr.  Zollars  said: 

"Hiram  College  has  passed  through  the  most  prosperous 

year     in     its     history.       Never     before     has     the     future 

seemed    so    full    of    promise.      The    problem    as  to  how 

the    new    lines    of    work    could    be    carried    on   without 

in    any    way    curtailing    or    weakening  the  former  work 


ADMINISTRATION  OF   E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1SSS-I9OO.  3OI 

has  been  solved.  The  friends  of  the  College  have 
shown  a  disposition  to  lend  such  financial  support  as 
may  be  necessary  to  accomplish  the  much  desired  object. 
Such  interest  and  enthusiasm  seem  to  have  sprung  up  for 
Hiram  and  its  work,  that  today  we  are  enabled  to  look  into 
the  future  with  highest  anticipations  and  fondest  hopes." 
The  permanent  producing  endowment  of  the  college  was  rep- 
resented as  $51,240,  and  a  temporary  five-year  endowment 
had  been  secured  during  the  year  of  $30,000.  The  income 
from  tuition  was  $4,300,  and  the  total  income  $8,731.  A  new 
piano  was  purchased,  improvements  had  been  made  in  the 
Laboratory,  and  some  repairs  on  the  College  buildings  which 
created  a  deficit  of  less  than  two  hundred  dollars.  The  Col- 
lege had  been  well  advertised  during  the  year  through  the 
College  paper,  the  weekly  papers  published  by  the  Disciples, 
by  willing  friends,  by  the  Faculty  and  by  the  President. 

The  report  for  1S90  was  full  of  hope  and  enthusiasm. 
The  permanent  endowment  fund  was  reported  at  $53,652.26. 
The  temporary  endowment  had  reached  $61,500,  and  the 

entire  income  from  all  sources  was  $14,- 
1890 

193.18.      Permanent    improvements    had 

been  made  at  a  cost  of  $2,060.72,  on  which  there  was  a  de- 
ficit of  $1,140.39.  The  increase  in  the  number  of  students 
had  been  sufficient  to  increase  the  tuition  receipts  to 
$6,029.33.  The  total  number  of  dift'erent  students  enrolled 
had  reached  324,  and  the  total  by  terms  746.  Of  this  num- 
ber 27  were  pursuing  the  Classical  Course ;  72  the  Philosoph- 
ical; 20  the  Ministerial ;  106  the  Scientific;  and  9  the  Special 
Ministerial  Course. 

Of  the  year's  work  and  results  President  Zollars  said : 
"In  visiting  churches  during  the  past  year  in  Hiram's  inter- 
est! have  discovered  that  the  Institution  has  a  firm  hold  upon 
the  affections  of  a  large  number  of  people.  I  have  yet  tlic 
first  appeal  to  make  for  Hiram  without  meeting  with  a  gen- 


302  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

erous  response.  The  feeling  is  not  only  one  of  interest  but 
of  real  enthusiasm.  True,  we  have  many  hard  problems  yet 
to  solve,  many  difiFiCultics  still  to  overcome,  but  the  success 
of  the  past  and  the  honor  and  love  in  which  Hiram  is  held 
give  me  large  hope  for  the  future.  Great  possibilities  are 
certainly  Vv'ithin  our  reach." 

The  report  for  1891  opens  with  the  declaration  that,  "In 
a  history  covering  twenty-four  years  of  college  work,  the 
chapter  that  the  session  of  i890-'9i  has  added,  deserves  an 

important,      if      not      indeed     the      first 
1891.  ,, 

place."  The  number  of  difterent  stu- 
dents enrolled  was  325,  and  the  total  by  terms  759. 
Of  the  different  students  there  were  205  gentlemen,  and  120 
ladies.  Mr.  B.  F.  Pritchard,  who  had  charge  of  the  Com- 
mercial Department  of  the  College,  died.  Pie  was  a  faithful 
v^^orker  and  miuch  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  The  per- 
manent endov/ment  fund  was  reported  as  $61,199.23,  and 
the  temporary  endowment  as  $63,077.  The  receipts  from 
tuition  were  $6,324.51,  and  from  all  sources  $16,576.79.  In 
closing  his  report  President  Zollars  said:  ''Everything 
locks  hopeful  and  encouraging.  Everywhere  throughout 
the  State  the  interest  in  Hiram  is  rapidly  growing,  as  well 
as  in  many  other  States.  The  churches  approve  our  work 
and  are  more  willing  to  assist  us  than  ever  before.  Aly  ap- 
peals for  help  have  met  with  uniform  success.  We  hear  of 
many  new  students  who  expect  to  come  and  a  smaller  per 
cent,  of  our  old  students  will  drop  out  at  the  end  of  the  year 
than  heretofore.  There  is  a  general  feeling  of  hopefulness 
and  confidence  among  Faculty  and  students  that  is  truly  in- 
spiring. To  the  College  authorities  the  future  never  looked 
so  bright  as  it  does  to-day." 

In  beginning  his  report  for  1S92  President  Zollars  said : 
"We  are  brought  to  the  satisfactorj'  close  of  the  most  sue- 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.   V.   ZOLLARS,    188S-I9OO.  303 

cessful  year  that  Hiram  College  has  ever 
witnessed.  The  Hiram  tide,  which  has 
been  gradually  rising  for  the  past  four  years,  reached  pro- 
portions during  the  past  session  exceeding  the  expectations 
of  its  most  ardent  friends.  We  need  no  longer  look  into  the 
past  to  see  what  may  be  accomplished  in  the  way  of  num- 
bers, but  we  may  confidently  look  to  the  future  for  still 
greater  things.  The  question  of  numbers  will  be  largely 
determined  by  the  facilities  which  Hiram  shall  provide  for 
taking  care  of  those  who  may  desire  to  come.  The  indica- 
tions are  that  our  numbers  will  increase  faster  than  our 
facilities  will  grow." 

During  the  year  372  different  students  were  enrolled, 
and  a  total  by  terms  of  860.  These  were  distributed  in  the 
Classical  Course,  37;  Long  Ministerial  Course,  31;  Philo- 
sophical Course,  61;  Scientific  Course,  50;  Four  Years'  Lit- 
erary Course,  45 ;  and  Four  Years'  Ministerial  Course,  33. 

The  pennanent  endowment  fund  had  reached $69, 198, 15, 
and  the  temporary  endowment  yielded  returns  from  $60,000. 
The  total  receipts  for  the  year  were  $17,61^^.87,  and  the  total 
expenses  were  $15,960.97.  In  the  conclusion  of  the  report 
President  Zollars  said:  "The  work  that  Hiram  College  is 
doing  is  meeting  with  general  favor,  as  is  shown  by  the  con- 
tinually increasing  attendance.  We  confidently  expect  a  still 
larger  increase  of  patronage  during  the  coming  year." 

The  report  for  1893  was  full  of  the  elements  represent- 
ing substantial  growth.  The  results  were  very  gratifying 
to  the  Facultv,  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
the  rapidly  growing  constituency  of  the 
College.  The  glory  of  each  year  had  been  swallowed  up  by 
the  greater  glory  of  the  year  that  followed,  and  so  filled  the 
President  with  the  hope  that  like  the  path  of  the  just,  the 
future  course  of  the  Institution  mig1)t  be  as  "the  shining 
hght  that  shineth  more  and  more   unto   the    perfect  day." 


304  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

Thirty  States  and  countries  were  represented  in  its  student 
body,  the  larger  portion,  of  course,  being  from  Ohio.  The 
intellectual  standard  of  the  school  was  high,  and  the  moral 
tone  exalted.  The  religious  life  was  vigorous,  and  the  phys- 
ical man  was  not  neglected.  True  manhood  and  womanhood 
at  Hiram  counted  for  more  than  anything  else.  The  false 
and  superficial  standards  of  wealth  or  position  are  swept 
away  by  the  higher  considerations  of  real  merit.  An  honest, 
earnest  young  person,  possessed  of  noble  purpose  and  high 
ideals,  becomes  at  once  a  member  of  Hiram's  aristocracy, 
"no  matter  how  poor  and  humble  he  may  be." 

The  total  number  of  different  students  enrolled  during 
the  year  was  405 ;  and  the  total  by  terms  931,  a  large  increase 
over  the  preceding  year.  The  invested  funds  of  the  perma- 
nent endowment  and  permanent  endowment  notes  had  reach- 
ed an  aggregate  of  $115,000.  The  cost  of  the  school  for  the 
year  had  reached  $18,300,  of  which  about  $600  were  for 
permanent  improvements.  A  detailed  list  of  donors  to  the 
silver  jubilee  endowment  fund  was  given,  their  gifts  amount- 
ing to  $75,333.92.  More  money  had  been  contributed  to  the 
College  than  in  any  other  single  year  of  its  history. 

The  report  for  1894  did  not  reveal  an  increase  in  patron- 
age, but  notwithstanding  the  great  business  depression  that 
existed  throughout  the  country,  causing  a 
serious  loss  of  patronage  to  many  schools, 
the  average  term  enrollment  was  up  to  that  of  any  former 
year.  The  work  accomplished  during  the  year  was  of  excel- 
lent quality,  and  the  results  were  very  gratifying. 

The  President  said :  "Hiram  can  in  no  sense  be  consid- 
ered a  local  school.  True,  it  draws  ver>'  largely  from  North- 
eastern Ohio,  but  every  section  of  the  State  is  represented, 
and  we  also  have  students  from  at  least  twenty-five  other 
States  and  countries.  Not  only  has  Hiram  won  a  national 
reputation,  but  she  is  rapidly  securing  a  national  patronage." 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.   V.   ZOLLARS,    iSScJ-ipoO.  305 

The  number  of  different  students  enrolled  was  395,  of 
whom  253  were  young  men  and  142  were  young  women. 
The  total  enrollment  by  terms  was  925. 

The  total  income  from  all  sources  for  the  year  was 
$20,350,  and  the  amount  expended  for  permanent  improve- 
ments $3,396.62.  During  the  College  year  Harmon  Austin, 
who  had  been  a  life-long  friend  of  the  College,  died,  which 
led  the  President  to  say:  "In  his  departure  Hiram  College 
sustains  a  loss  that  will  be  deeply  felt.  Hiram  cannot  boast 
of  massive  buildings,  large  endowments  or  extensive  equip- 
ments, but  she  is  rich  in  the  memory  of  many  great  and 
r.oble  souls,  who  have  labored  unselfishly  in  her  advance- 
ment." 

In  opening  his  report  for  1895  President  Zollars  said: 
"We  are  permitted  under  Divine  Providence  to  chronicle  the 
history  of  another  most  prosperous  ses- 
sion ;  perhaps,  all  things  considered,  Vv'e 
may  say,  the  most  prosperous  year  that  our  College  has  ever 
passed  through.  The  winter  and  spring  terms  have  shown  a 
decided  increase  over  the  corresponding  terms  of  any  pre- 
vious year,  which,  considering  the  general  business  depres- 
sion, miust  be  regarded  as  phenomenal.  It  is  the  universal 
verdict  that  the  work  of  the  school  was  never  more  satis- 
factory, and  the  quality  of  the  students  is  a  cause  for  pro- 
foundest  satisfaction.  It  has  never  been  my  privilege  to 
come  in  contact  with  a  body  of  students  of  higher  moral  and 
intellectual  qunlity." 

The  number  of  different  students  had  reached  395,  and 
the  total  by  terms  939.  The  receipts  for  current  expenses  for 
the  year  were  $17,169.20.  The  President,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  devoted  a  large  portion  of  his 
time  to  the  financial  interests  of  the  College,  and  the  results 
were,  for  the  time  actually  engaged,  $500  a  week.  Mean- 
while the  Financial  Secretary,  Mr.  O.  G.  Hertzog,  had  re- 


306  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE, 

ceived,  in  pledges,  money  and  various  gifts,  $10,095.70.  The 
hamlet  of  Hiram  had  grown  in  a  substantial  way,  thus  add- 
ing to  the  accommodations  for  the  school. 

The  report  for  1896  showed  the  largest  average  term 
attendance  in  the  history  of  the  school.  The  work  of  the 
school  had  been  highly  satisfactory  and 
marked  by  great  earnestness  on  the  part 
of  the  student  body.  This  was  accounted  for  in  part  "by  the 
very  high  intellectual  and  moral  character  of  the  Hiram  stu- 
dents, in  part  by  the  fact  that  a  large  majority  of  the  students 
were  self-supporting,  and  consequently  were  working  with  a 
definite  purpose  in  view^  and  in  part  by  the  location  of  the 
College  relieving  them  from  distracting  influences,  and  en- 
abling the  students  to  concentrate  their  thought  and  energy 
upon  the  immediate  v/ork  in  hand."  Looking  backward 
seven  or  eight  years  and  comparing  with  the  present,  Hiram 
had  doubled  itself  in  several  particulars,  viz :  In  the  capac- 
ity of  the  town  to  accommodate  students ;  in  the  actual  num- 
ber of  students  in  attendance ;  in  the  number  of  courses  of- 
fered ;  in  the  number  of  studies  provided ;  in  the  number  of 
professors  and  teachers;  in  its  endowment;  in  its  income; 
in  its  buildings ;  and  in  the  number  of  its  alumni. 

During  the  year  there  were  422  dilTerent  students,  and 
a  total  by  terms  of  1,018.  The  receipts  from  all  sources  for 
College  purposes  were  $19,605.46.  The  total  of  invested 
funds  was  $84,417.41.  As  the  College  had  grown  in  the  in- 
crease of  public  interest,  and  the  enlargement  of  its  student 
body,  its  expenditures  and  necessities  had  correspondingly 
increased,  and  the  President's  recommendations  for  more 
endowment,  more  teachers,  more  apparatus,  more  library 
and  more  of  many  other  things  were  persistent  and  empliatic. 

The  report  of  1897  showed  a  less  number  of  students 
than  were  enrolled  in  the  preceding  year ;  though  the  number 
of  different  students  enrolled  reached  400,  and  the  total  by 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    188S-I9OO.  307 

terms    was    934.    This    fallinsj   off    was 
1897  ^^^  o 

generally     attributed     to     the     financial 

stringency  of  the  country  at  that  time.  The  year, 
however,  had  been  very  satisfactory  in  the  work  done 
in  the  College,  in  the  improvements  in  buildings,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  completion  of  the  new  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building. 
Of  the  new  building  the  President  said :  "We  scarcely  knew 
how  badly  we  needed  this  building  until  we  got  it.  We  felt 
the  pressure  of  more  room  very  greatly  and  knew  that  our 
work  was  suffering  for  lack  of  room,  but  since  we  have  got- 
ten into  the  new  building  we  do  not  see  how  v/e  got  along 
without  it  so  long.  We  now  have  sufficient  room  for  our 
present  teaching  force."  The  receipts  for  the  year  from  all 
sources,  for  current  work,  were  $21,487.52,  of  which 
$7,733.84  were  from  tuition.  The  friends  of  the  College  had 
abundant  reason  for  rejoicing  in  the  success  of  the  year. 

The  report  for  1898  was  very  encouraging  and  hopeful. 
The  falling  off  the  year  before  had  been  more  than  made 

good.       The     enrollment      had     reached 
1898 

421    different    students    and    a    total    by 

terms  of  1,015.  The  receipts  for  the  year  amounted 
to  $25,142.86  and  the  disbursements  to  $24,864.15. 
The  total  invested  funds  of  the  college  amounted  to  $8",- 
486.21 ;  and  the  aggregate  value  of  the  college  property,  in- 
cluding endowment,  was  represented  as  $204,333.18.  The 
imperative  need  of  a  large  endowment  was  emphasized  by 
the  President.  It  now  costs  the  College  in  round  numbers 
$20,000  to  carry  on  its  work;  and  in  his  judgment  it  was 
'■practically  impossible  for  liiram  College  to  do  less  work 
than  it  is  now  doing.  There  is  not  a  single  department  (  f 
work  that  we  can  cut  off  without  seriously  crippling  lr:e 
school."  On  the  question  of  more  endowment  he  said:  "It 
will  be  seen  that  more  endov^mient  is  imperatively  demanded 
if  the  school  is  to  be  placed  on  an  enduring  basis.     At  pres- 


3°^  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

ent  the  legitimate  income  of  the  school  from  tuition  and  en- 
dowment falls,  at  least,  four  thousand  dollars  short  of  meet- 
ing the  necessary  current  expenses.  This  would  soon  bank- 
rupt the  school  if  it  were  not  provided  for  in  some  way.  An 
additional  endowment  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
would  solve  the  Hiram  problem  for  an  indefinite  time  to 
come.  Xo  measures  should  be  left  untried  that  promise  to 
secure  this  much-needed  endowment.  This  is  the  one  c/er- 
shadowing  problem  that  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram 
College  are  compelled  to  confront." 

President  Zollars,  in  his  report  for  1899,  says :  "It 
affords  me  great  pleasure  to  say  that  the  year  just  closing 

has  been  most  satisfactory  in  all  respects. 
1899 

We  have  made  the  largest  enrollment  the 

Institution  has  ever  had.  Each  term  shows  an  increase  in 
attendance  over  the  corresponding  term  of  any  previous 
year.  While  this  increase  has  not  been  large,  yet  it  is  suffi- 
cient to  show  that  the  vitality  of  the  school  has  not  been  lost 
or  impaired.  The  fact  is  being  demonstrated  every  year  that 
the  growth  of  the  last  few  years  is  not  spasmodic  or  uncer- 
tain and  liable  to  be  followed  by  reaction,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, that  it  is  solid  and  substantial,  and  has  a  basis  in  the 
growing  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  work  and  stability  of 
the  Institution." 

The  necessity  for  a  larger  income  to  meet  the  expenses 
of  the  college  was  made  apparent  by  the  increasing  patron- 
age, and  the  increase  in  the  number  of  teachers  to  supply  the 
demand.  A  committee  had  been  appointed  by  the  Board  of 
Trustees  to  formulate  a  plan  for  the  raising  of  the  much- 
needed  endowment.  This  committee  decided  to  inaugurate 
a  movement  to  add  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars 
to  the  endowment  of  Hiram  College  by  the  close  of  its  jubi- 
lee year — the  fiftieth  since  the  Institution  was  opened  for  stu- 
dents. This  plan  contemplated  a  "popular  movement"  in 
which  a  lar^re  number  would  be  interested  in  its  success. 


ADMIXISTRATIOX  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-I9OO.  309 

The  enrollment  by  terms  reached  the  large  number  of 
1,075,  represented  by  443  different  students.  Of  these  93 
had  decided  to  enter  the  ministry;  7  to  be  missionaries;  81 
teachers  :  23  studied  music ;  28  medicine ;  41  law ;  the  remain- 
der undecided. 

The  number  of  students  from  other  States  and  countries 
had  become  so  large  that  several  clubs  or  associations  had 
been  formed  to  cultivate  fraternal  relationships,  for  social 
pleasure,  and  to  keep  the  interests  of  Hiram  before  their  re- 
spective localities.  These  organizations  were  known  as  "The 
Empire  State  Club,"  "Canadian  Society,"  "Pennsylvania 
Club,"  "Indiana  Club,"  and  "Dixie  Club." 

The  receipts  of  the  college  for  the  year  were  $27,043.93, 
of  which  $8,686  were  from  tuition.  In  closing  his  report  the 
President  said :  "The  great  work  of  the  past  simply  makes 
a  much  larger  future  work  a  possibility.  A  great  weight  of 
responsibility  is  laid  upon  those  to  whom  the  destiny  of  the 
Institution  has  been  committed.  We  cannot  be  satisfied  to 
do  even  as  well  as  our  predecessors  have  done.  We  must  do 
much  better  or  we  will  do  much  worse.  The  history,  the 
prestige,  the  glory  of  the  past  lay  upon  us  a  burden  of  re- 
sponsibility which  we  dare  not,  which  we  must  not  cast 
aside." 

The  report  for  1900  showed  the  college  receipts  from 

all  sources  to  be  $24,642.77,  of  which  $10,356.50  were  from 

tuition.    This  was  the  largest  amount  ever 
1900  .  . 

received  in  any  one  year  from  tuition,  in 

the  history  of  the  Institution. 

The  enrollment  of  students  included  the  names  of  436 
different  students,  of  whom  200  were  ladies,  and  236  gentle- 
men, and  the  total  enrollment  by  terms  reached  1,080.  The 
personnel  of  the  student  body  had  never  been  better.  The 
moral  tone  of  the  school  had  been  of  the  best  quality,  and 
the  religious  life  intense.    There  had  not  been  a  case  calling 


3IO  niSToRV  OP  IIIKAM  COLLEGE. 

for  discipline  clurin.!;-  the  year;  and  with  an  average  term 
attendance  of  360  this  fact  was  remarkable.  The  reports 
from  the  variotis  departments  of  the  College  were  indicative 
of  strength  and  progress.  Each  Professor  and  Teacher 
made  a  report  from  his  particular  field.  The  Conservatory 
of  Music,  under  the  direction  of  Prof.  Eugene  Feuchtinger, 
with  only  three  years  behind  it,  began  the  year  with  a  large 
attendance,  which  was  kept  up  during  the  year. 

The  literary  societies — the  Delphic,  Hesperian,  Olive 
Branch,  Alethean,  and  Garfield — all  had  had  marked  suc- 
cess during  the  year.  There  were  students  enough  from 
New  England  to  form  a  "New  England  Club,"  which  its 
members  hoped  would  be  sufficiently  strong  to  become  a  con- 
necting link  to  "closely  join  our  far-away  New  England  to 
our  dear  old  Hiram  Hill." 

In  closing  his  comprehensive  and  carefully  detailed  re- 
port, President  Zollars  said :  "Fifty  years  of  history  are 
completed.  From  small  beginnings  the  Institution  has  stead- 
ily grown,  strengthening  itself  with  each  year.  Wonderful 
has  been  the  work  accomplished.  Its  name  and  history  are 
cherished  by  thousands  of  those  who  have  enjoyed  the  bene- 
fits of  the  instruction  it  has  given,  and  by  tens  of  thousands 
who  know  it  only  because  of  the  reputation  it  has  made  and 
because  of  the  work  that  it  has  done.  Hundreds  of  earnest 
young  men  and  women  have  gone  forth  from  the  Institution 
during  these  fifty  years  who  have  left  a  deep  impress  upon 
the  day  and  generation  in  which  they  lived.  Their  influence 
has  been  felt  to  the  very  ends  of  the  earth.  In  the  pulpit,  in 
medicine,  in  law,  in  business,  in  all  the  varied  fields  of  human 
activity  Hiram  men  have  honored  themselves  and  the  Insti- 
tution by  the  efficient  service  that  they  have  rendered.  This 
current  of  young  life  that  has  been  flowing  out  from  Hiram 
these  fifty  years  with  an  ever-increasing  volume,  has  been  a 
stream  of  blessins:  to  the  whole  wide  world.     The  work  has 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1SSS-I9OO.  3H 

been  done  in  a  modest,  unpretentious  way.  Tliere  has  been 
no  flourish  of  trumpets,  no  pompous  displa}-,  but  quietly, 
modestly,  yet  with  wonderful  efficiency,  the  work  has  moved 
forward  with  ever-increasing  momentum  hke  the  current  of 
a  mighty  river.  To-day  we  stand  looking  both  to  the  past 
and  to  the  future.  We  feel  that  a  great  weight  of  responsi- 
bility rests  upon  us.  We  must  do  a  great  deal  better  than 
Hiram  has  ever  done  or  we  will  do  a  great  deal  worse.  There 
are  traditions  to  be  cherished,  there  are  ideals  to  be  upheld, 
there  are  lofty  purposes  to  be  fostered,  there  is  noble  service 
to  be  emulated.  The  great  sacrifices  of  the  past,  v.diich  are 
indeed  the  glory  of  Hiram,  demand  greater  sacrifice  of  us 
to-day  because  of  the  larger  possibilities  within  our  reach. 
The  noble  workers  who  have  been  connected  with  Hiram  in 
the  past  point  out  to  us  the  line  of  duty  that  lies  before  us, 
and  indicate  the  high  grade  of  service  that  is  demanded  at 
our  hands.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  we  hold  Hiram  up  to  the 
early  standards.  The  Hiram  of  the  early  day  was  a  mighty 
advance  upon  the  standards  of  its  time,  but  we  must  recog- 
nize the  exalted  position  that  the  Hiram  of  the  past  occupied 
and  see  that  the  Hiram  of  the  present  is  lifted  up  to  the  higli- 
est  standards  of  to-day,  and  that  it  shall  maintain  that  lofty 
position  that  the  ever-advancing  standards  of  the  future  shall 
demand.  Truly  we  may  be  thankful  to  our  Heavenly  Father 
for  what,  under  Him,  we  have  been  able  to  achieve.  We 
may  certainly  take  an  honest  pride  in  a  worthy  work  well 
done;  but  let  us  turn  our  faces  to  the  future,  and  with  an 
unwavering  trust  invoke  the  help  of  Him  who  has  never  for- 
saken us,  and  go  forward  to  our  duties  with  strong  faith  and 
large  expectations.  Let  us  make  the  past  glorious  as  it  has 
been,  but  the  beginning  of  the  great  things  along  the  line  of 
higher  education  that  shall  be  wrought  out  by  the  Hiram  of 
the  future,  so  that  our  children,  when  the  centennial  shall 
have  come,  will  rejoice  in  the  Hiram  of  that  day  as  we  now 
rejoice  in  the  Hiram  of  the  present." 


212  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

There  are  some  elements  in  these  annual  reports  that  are 
particularly  noticeable,  and  which  reveal  the  character  of 

President  Zollars.      Among  them  is    the 

Character  of         broad  and  comprehensive  view  which  he 

Annual  Reports.      takes  of  the  College  requirements,  present 

and  prospective,  and  his  distinct  percep- 
tion of  what  is  needed  to  meet  these  requirements.  His  an- 
nual reports  show^  a  patience  of  detail  that  is  remarkable. 
Nothing  is  overlooked,  and  every  worker  and  every  depart- 
ment receives  its  due  recognition.  And  though  he  sees  the 
difficulties  of  the  situation  and  with  vigor  insists  on  having 
what  ought  to  be  had,  and  must  be  had,  in  order  to  meet  these 
difnculties,  he  does  not  become  despondent  if  the  response  is 
not  as  immediate  as  he  could  wish;  but  with  an  optimism 
that  always  carries  encouragement,  he  sheds  the  light  of  his 
faith  and  hope  upon  the  problem,  and  with  invincible  courage 
throws  the  whole  power  of  his  personality  upon  it  until  it  is 
solved.  He  has  thrown  no  doubt  on  the  educational  function 
of  the  presidential  office;  but  he  has  exalted  the  administra- 
tive side  of  the  office  so  that  the  twelve  years  of  his  admin- 
istration have  shown,  with  no  disparagement  to  any  other, 
that  a  master  has  been  at  the  head  of  the  school. 

Beginning  with  a  total  of  221  different  students,  and  a 
total  by  terms  of  443  in  1888,  the  successive  years  have  shown 
a  change  in  these  respective  numbers  as  follows:  1889,  251 
and  545;  1890,  324  and  746;  1891,  325  and  759;  1892,  372 
and  860;  1893,  405  and  931;  1894,  395  and  925;  1895,  395 
and  939;  1896,  422  and  1,018;  1897,  400  and  934;  1898,  421 
and  1,015;  1899,  443  and  1,075;  1900,  436  and  1,080;  or, 
counting  by  years,  4,589  different  students,  or  counting  by 
terms,  10,827;  or  an  average  per  year  of  382  different  stu- 
dents, and  by  terms  301. 

By  years  and  by  terms  the  figures  that  follow  represent 
the  number  of  the  student  body  from  the  opening  of  the  col- 


CAMPUS  IN   WINTEH.     From  Collf.gk  Towek,  I.ooking  East. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.  V.   ZOLLARS,    1888-I9OO.  313 

lege  proper  to  the  administration  of  Presi- 

Siinilar  Statistics     dent  Zollars :     1867,  308  and  526;  1868, 

from  1867-1888.       277  and  403 ;  1869,  278  and  438 ;  1870,  267 

and  401;   1871,  302  and  483;   1872,  270 


and  390;  1873,  235  and  2,7Z 
and  288;  1876,  153  and  262 
and  283;  1879,  209  and  391 
and  384;  1882,  224  and  411 
and  406;  1885,  190  and  373 


1874,  ^ZZ  and  368;  1875,  ^79 
1^77,  201  and  320;  1878,  169 
1880,  214  and  387;  1881,  205 
1883,  202  and  375;  1884,  205 
1886,  186  and  378;  1887,  221 


and  443,  or  a  total  for  twenty-one  years  of  4,728  students, 
and  by  terms  of  8,083,  an  average  per  year  of  225,  and  by 
terms  of  128. 

All  of  the  Presidents  of  Hiram  College  have  been  men 
physically  and  mentally  capable  of  hard  work,  and  their 
power  of  endurance  has  been  tested  to  the 
Hiram  Presidents  extreme  limit.  Like  the  rest,  President 
Hard  Workers.  Zollars  has  been  a  very  busy  man.  Be- 
sides his  administrative  duties  he  has  can- 
vassed a  large  nmnber  of  the  Disciple  churches  of  Ohio  and 
many  in  other  States  in  the  interest  of  the  college;  visited 
and  preached  at  great  meetings  and  conventions;  written 
books  for  the  class-room  and  the  people;  conducted  an  im- 
mense correspondence;  taught  his  classes  in  the  college; 
kept  in  touch  and  informed  in  the  work  of  other  institutions 
of  learning;  prepared  elaborate  lectures  on  a  variety  of  sub- 
jects for  the  college;  and  as  a  solicitor  for  the  finances  of  the 
College  he  has  gone  far  beyond  the  best  results  of  any  of  his 
predecessors,  in  the  entire  history  of  the  Institution.  They, 
indeed,  laid  the  foundation  on  which  he  has  builded  so  rap- 
idly and  so  successfully,  and  all  arc  entitled  to  rejoice  with 
him  in  the  success  that  has  followed  their  works. 

In  1888,  besides  the  annual  catalogue,  a  general  cata- 
logue of  the  Institution  from  the  beginning  was  issued,  with 


314  HISTORY  OP  lIiRAM  COLLEGE. 

a  brief  history  of  the  first  years.  From 
General  Catalocue     _^,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

in  1888     "  document  the  attendance  of  students 

during  the  period  of  the  Western  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute  is  found  to  be,  by  years,  as  follows :  1850-1, 
312;  1852,  254;  1853,  529:  1854,  523;  1855,  445;  1856,  494: 
1857,440;  1858,  487;  1859,  502;  i860,  462;  1861,  427;  1862, 
315,;  1863,  296;  1864,  389;  1865,  402;  1866.  352;  1867,  250, 
making  a  total  of  6,879  s"^  ^"  average  for  seventeen  years 
of  404. 

A  college  paper,  issued  at  regular  intervals,  appears  to 
be  a  necessity  of  college  life ;  if  not  a  necessity,  it  is  often- 
times found  to  be  of  great  interest  and 
Collee;e  Papers.  ,  .,  ,         .  ,        ^,   ,, 

yalue.     About  the  time  the  College  was 

opened,  a  monthly  paper  was  issued  called  "The   Hiram 

Student,"  and  edited  by  Prof.  A.  M.  Weston.     This  paper 

had  a  brief  existence.      Fugitive    papers, 
Hiram  Student.  •    1      r        ^i  r       1        ^-    •         ^1 

mamly  for  the  purpose  of  advertismg  tiw 

College,  have  been  issued  from  time  to  time  under  the  control 
generally  of  the  Faculty  or  some  member  of  it;  but  in  1887 
a  real  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  permanent  college  paper 
in  which  the  interests  of  Hiram  College  received  proper  at- 
tention. This  paper  was  called  Hir.\x{ 
Hiram  Colleee         ^  o  1  1         ^i  1 

College  Star,  and  was   under   the    soie 
Star.  \.      ,       TT  •         T  • 

management    of    the  Hesperian  Literary 

Society.  Its  chief  editor  was  Frank  W.  Norton,  with  John 
Shackson,  Nathan  Johnson  and  G.  W.  Moore,  associates.  Its 
first  editorial  declared  its  purpose  to  be  to  furnish  "a  spright- 
ly college  paper  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  school  and 
community ;  and,  while  the  paper  would  be  under  the  man 
agement  of  one  society,  it  will  be  a  college  paper  and  will  Ir: 
fair  and  liberal  on  every  question."  It  announced  its  politics 
to  be  Re-Dem-Procratic  and  its  guiding  motto  "Candor  dot 
virihits  alas." 

Under  the  management  of  the  Hesperian  Society  the 


AD.MINISTRATIOX  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS      1SSS-I9OO.  315 

paper  proved  a  success  and  was  issued  for  three  college  years 
semi-monthly.  Its  last  number  appeared  in  August,  1890. 
At  this  time  an  arrangement  was  made  by  which  the  '"Hiram 
College  Star"  ceased  to  be,  and  a  new  paper  appeared  in 
October,  1890,  called  the  Hiram  College  Advance,  under 
the  joint  management  of  the  Hesperian,  Delphic,  Olive 
Branch,  and  Logomathian  Literary  Societies.  The  new  stal^" 
consisted  of  G.  A.  Ragan,  editor-in-chief,  and  E.  W.  Allen, 
F.  A,  Bright,  Adelaide  G.  Frost,  Marcia  Henry,  H.  D.  Mes- 
sick,  Loa  E.  Scott,  A.  J.  Sever,  and  A.  V.  Taylor,  associates, 
with  George  H.  Rymers,  business  manager.  This  paper  has 
been  continued  without  interruption  to  the  present  time;  a 
credit  to  the  young  people  who  have  successively  and  suc- 
cessfully managed  it,  and  to  the  college.  The  Hesperian 
Society  is  entitled  to  high  praise  for  the  origin  and  successful 
management  of  the  college  paper  for  its  first  three  years. 
The  Advance  holds  a  creditable  rank  among  papers  of  its 
class. 

In  1890  The  Stider  Web.  a  serio-comic  annual  of  Hi- 
ram College  was  first  published  by  the  Junior  Class.     Since 

then  these  volumes  have  appeared  annu- 
The  Spider  Web.      ally.     In  general  appearance  and  in   the 

contents  these  volumes  have  steadily  im- 
proved until  the  annual  issue  is  anticipated  with  great  eager- 
ness by  the  friends  of  Hiram  who  desire  to  know  its  serious 
and  humorous  current  college  life,  and  is  especially  interest- 
ing to  the  Junior  Class  responsible  for  its  issue. 

August  31,    1888,  the   Ministerial   Students   of   Hiram 
College  organized    themselves    into    a    society,  which    was 

named  "Logomathean,"  for  the  purpose  of 
The  Logomathean     ^,^,^^^^-      \i,^i^    cfi^ciencyin    ministerial 
Society.  '  '^  .  ,         •  i 

work.  It  began  Us  work  with  19  mem- 
bers. Their  regular  ])rograms  consisted  of  sermons,  essays, 
exegeses,  declamations,  impromptu  speeches.  Scripture  reci- 


3l6  HISTORY  OF   HIRAM  COLLEGK. 

tations,  and  discussion  of  religious  questions.  The  Society 
prospered  for  several  years,  but  was  finally  abandoned  for 
what  appeared  to  be  good  reasons,  and  only  exists  as  "a 
reminiscence  of  the  piety"  of  its  founders. 

April  9,  1894,  the  Garfield  Literary  Society  was  organ- 
ized with  ten  members  chosen  from  the  Delphic  and  Hespe- 
rian Societies  respectively.  Its  charter 
Garfield  Society,  ^en^^ers  gave  the  following  as  the  reason 
for  the  new  organization :  "We,  the  Pre- 
paratory Students  of  Hiram  College,  regarding  the  benefits 
of  a  Literary  Society  in  connection  with  our  school  work  of 
the  highest  importance  in  disciplining  and  liberalizing  the 
mind,  do  mutually  agree  to  form  ourselves  into  a  Literary 
Society,  and,  for  the  government  of  the  same,  do  hereby 
ordain  and  establish  the  following  constitution  and  by-laws, 
etc."  Its  first  year  was  a  very  successful  one  and  its  progress 
from  year  to  year  has  been  highly  creditable  to  the  class  of 
students  admitted  to  its  membership.  During  its  first  year 
the  Society  had  an  average  membership  of  fifty.  It  has 
proved  to  be  a  liberal  feeder  to  the  college  societies  from 
which  it  sprang. 

The  Alethean  Society  was  organized  June  18,  1895.    Its 

charter  members  and  first  signers  of  its  constitution  were 

Clara  B.  Russell,  Carrie  Goodrich,  Mar- 

. ,    ,       ^'t    .  p"aret  Frost,  Edith  Robinson,  Helen  Stool- 

A'.ethean  Society.      '^         ,^         '  ^,  ^..  . 

fire,  Myra  row,  Florence  Oliver,  Annie 

Gould,  Florence  Campbell,  and  Josephine  Line.  The  ladies' 
society  of  the  college,  "The  Olive  Branch,"  was  unable  to 
properly  provide  for  the  literary  society  culture  of  all  the 
young  ladies  attending  the  College.  A  preamble  and  resolu- 
tion were  adopted  as  follows :  "Whereas,  the  Olive  Branch 
Society  has  proved  itself  inadequate  to  meet  the  demands  for 
literary  work  by  the  young  women  of  Hiram  College,  there- 
fore be  it  Resolved,  that  the  following  young  women  be  hon- 


ADillXISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1SS8-I9OO.  317 

orably  discharged  for  the  purpose  of  forming  themselves 
into  a  society :  Elizabeth  Carlton,  Blanche  Beck,  Bessie 
Crosse,  Inez  Prickett,  and  Lucile  Woodward,  besides  those 
whose  names  appear  as  charter  members — 15  in  all.  The 
Alethean  Society  has  prospered  from  the  beginning.  During 
its  first  year  it  added  26  new  names  to  its  charter  members, 
making  a  membership  of  2,6. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Hiram  Col- 
lege  was   organized    in     1870,     and    has    kept     in    touch 

with     all     the     other     departments     of 
Y.  M.  C.  A.         college  work  since  its  organization.    It  has 

been  a  great  help  to  the  College  in  many 
ways.  It  has  performed  the  usual  functions  characteristic 
of  the  organization,  besides  organizing  special  Bible  classes 
for  the  study  of  such  subjects  as  "The  Life  of  Christ," 
"Christ  as  a  Personal  Worker,"  "The  Life  of  Paul,"  "The 
Book  of  Acts,"  etc.;  contributing  to  the  social  life  of  the 
college;  assisting  to  adjust  new  students  to  their  home  in 
Hiram;  providing  a  lecture  course  which  brought  to  Hiram 
some  of  the  best  talent  on  the  American  platform ;  and  ren- 
dering great  assistance  in  the  erection  of  the  new  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
building. 

The  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  of  Hiram 
was  organized  and  has  contributed  in  many  helpful  ways  to 

the  life  and  prosperity  of  the  college.  Each 
Y.  w.  c.  A.        young  woman  entering  the  school  for  tlie 

first  time  is  warmly  welcomed,  and, 
through  the  efforts  of  the  Association,  is  made  to  feel  th.at 
there  are  many  friends  ready  to  love  and  help  her.  Sub- 
stantially the  same  kind  of  work  is  done  by  this  Association 
for  the  young  women  that  is  done  for  the  young  men  by  tlu^ 
Y.  M.  C.  Association.  The  religious  work  carried  forward 
by  th.e  two  Associations  lias  been  of  very  great  value.  The 
daily  and  weekly  prayer  meetings  maintained  throughout  the 


3l8  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

year,  have  added  much  to  the  vigor  and  strength  of  the  re- 
ligious Hfe  of  the  College. 

The  Student  Volunteer  Band  v.as  organized  in  1889  and 
i?  an  association  of  Hiram  students  whose  purpose  is  to  go 
to  foreign  lands  as  opportunity  offers  for 
The  Student         missionary  work.     Several  of  its  members 
Volunteer  Band,      are  in  China  and  India  and  elsewhere,  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  their  choice.    There 
were  thirteen  charter  members,  of  whom  William  Forrest 
and  Edward  Allen  were  the  first  president  and  secretary. 
Miss  Carmie  Hostetter  and  Miss  Lucia  Scott  were  the  first 
members  of  the  Band  to  take  up  active  work  on  the  mission 
field.     The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Hiram  students  on  the 
mission  fields  of  China,  Japan,  and  India.     The  following 
are  in  the  employ  of  the  F.  C.  !*.!.  S. : 

INDIA 

Miss  Mildred  Franklin Hurda  C.  Prov's 

G.  W.  Brown Hurda  C.  Prov's 

Mrs.  G.  W.  Brown Hurda  C.  Prov's 

CHINA 

Miss  Marj  Kelly Nankin 

E.  I.  Osgood,  M.  D.         .         - Chu  Cheo 

Mrs.  Fanny  H.  Osgood       -         - Chu  Cheo 

C.  B.  Titus Lu  Cheo  Fu 

Mrs.  C.  B.  Titus Lu  Cheo  Fu 

JAPAN 
Miss  Carrie  Hostetter Sendai 

The  following  are  under  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  in  India: 

Miss  Susie  Rawson         ...         -         Mahoba,  N.  W.  Provincei 
Miss  Rose  Lee  Oxer  ....     Mahoba,  N.  W.  Provinces 

\V.  M.  Forrest,  Y.  M.  C.  A.         -         -         -         -        Calcutta,  Bengal 
Mrs.  W.  M.  Forrest.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  ...     Calcutta,  Bengal 

Miss  Adelaide  Gail  Frost      -         -         -         Mahoba,  N.  W.  Provinces 

(Home  on  Furlough) 
Miss  Mary  Graybiel         .         -         .         -       Mahoba,  N.  W.  Provinces 

(Home  on  Furlough) 

i\Ir.  B.  J.  Grainger,  of  Deerfield.  expects  to  go  to  India 
this  Fall. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1SSS-I9OO.  319 

The  missionary  spirit  of  the  college  has  been  greatly 
stirred  by  the  devotion  of  the  members  of  the  liand,  and  by 
the  joint  meetings  with  the  other  college  associations.  In 
these  meetings  the  needs  of  the  various  mission  fields  have 
been  studied,  the  history  of  missionary  movements  learned  in 
detail;  and  through  addresses  by  different  members  of  the 
Band  the  neighboring  churches  have  been  brought  into  closer 
and  more  intelligent  relationship  with  them.  Hiram  has  al- 
ways been  interested  in  the  local  interests  of  the  churches  and 
in  the  world-wide  movements  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

In  May,  1889,  steps  were  taken  which  resulted  in  the 

organization  of  an  Ohio  Hiram  College  Association.     The 

purpose  of  the  Association  is  to  cultivate 

The  Ohio  ^|^g  Hiram  fellowship  and  push  forward 

Hiram  College        ,1       .    ,  r      1  n  1  i 

.        .    .  the  mterests  01    the    colIep;e    throughout 

Association.  ^  ^ 

Ohio  and  other  States.     All  former  stu- 
dents and  friends  of  the  college  are  eligible  to  membership, 
and  its  influence  has  been  positive  in  behalf  of  the  Institution. 
This  Association  was  organized  in  1885,  and  consists  of 
Hiram  the  many  residents  of  Cleveland  who  have 

Association         been    Hiram    students.      The    Board    of 
of  Cleveland.        Trustees  are  made  ex-officio  members  of 
the  Association.     It  now  numbers  about  300  members. 

This  Association  was  organized  in  1889  and  a  consti- 
tution adopted.     Its  object  is:     To  renew  and  cultivate  the 
fellowship  begun  at  Hiram;  to  organi.-:e 

^  the  friends  of  Hiram  College  into  an  cffi- 

Hiram  College  .      ^  1  •        r  j.     •  ^\      •    ^ 

.  ^.  cient  v.'orkmg  force:  to  increase  the  mter- 

Association.  ,r 

est    in    Hiram  s    welfare    among    all    its 

friends;  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  enlarging  the  patron- 
age and  advancing  the  general  interests  of  Hiram  College. 
Its  annual  meetings  are  held  in  connection  with  the  annual 
convention  of  the  Ohio  Christian  Missionary  Society. 

The  interests  of  the  physical  man  have  not  been  over- 


320  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

looked.     The  g}'mnasium  has  been  well  patronized  since  it 

was  furnished  and  opened  in  the  nev/  Y. 

M.  C.  A.  building.  The  Athletic  Associa- 
tion of  Hiram  College  is  a  member  of  the  Northern  Ohio 
Inter-collegiate  Athletic  Association  and  has  maintained  a 
good  standing.  The  permanent  grounds  of  tlie  Hiram  Asso- 
ciation are  convenient  and  kept  in  good  order.  Provision  is 
also  made  for  tennis  courts  and  other  physical  exercises. 

In  1888  a  joint  stock  company  was  formed,  known  as 
the  Hiram.  College  Building  Company,  for  the  purpose  of 

erecting  such    buildings    as  were  needed 
Miller  Hall.         for  the  accommodation  of  students.    This 

company  erected  what  is  now  known  as 
"Miller  Hall."  This  building  is  now  joined  with  "Gerould 
Cottage,"  the  gift  of  Dr.  Henry  Gerould,  and  is  one  of  tlie 
most  commodious  buildings  in  Hiram  for  the  use  of  young 
ladies. 

In  1889  ^  committee  was    appointed    to    consider   the 
"possibility    and    advisability"    of    establishing    a    summer 
Hiram  school  at  Hiram,  modeled  somewhat  after 

Summer  School,  the  Chautauqua  plan.  This  committee  re- 
ported in  favor  of  the  Assembly,  and  the  first  program  v.as 
prepared  and  arrangements  made  for  the  sessions  to  begin 
August  II  and  continue  to  August  29,  1890.  The  course  of 
study  was  quite  elaborate,  and  included  a  School  of  English 
Bible,  Sunday-school  Normal,  Teachers'  Normal,  Miscella- 
neous Lectures,  School  of  Music,  School  of  Art,  School  of 
Oratory,  and  a  department  of  college  work.  The  purpose  of 
the  Assembly  was  three-fold:  First,  for  the  benefit  of 
preachers  who  may  Vv^ish  to  spend  their  summer  vacation  in 
lines  of  helpful  study;  second,  for  Sunday-school  teachers 
who  may  desire  to  enlarge  their  store  of  Bible  knowledge; 
third,  for  all  persons  who  may  wish  to  obtain  a  better  knov/1- 
edge  of  the  Bible  while  they  are  seeking  rest  and  recreation. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF   E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    18SS-I9OO.  33 1 

A  large  corps  of  instructors  was  secured,  nearly  all  of 
whom  were  present  for  the  part  assigned  them:  English 
Bible  Work,  B.  S.  Dean,  E.  B.  Wakefield,  G.  A.  Peckham, 
E.  V.  Zollars,  J.  H.  Garrison,  H.  McDiarmid,  Robert  Mof- 
fett,  W.  F.  Richardson,  B.  B.  Tyler,  and  Alanson  Wilcox; 
Sunday-school  Normal  Work,  F.  M.  Green,  C.  C.  Smith, 
and  J.  S.  Ross ;  Common  School  Normal  Work,  A.  C.  Pier- 
son,  G.  H.  Colton,  and  Miss  Maggie  Umstead ;  Miscellaneous 
Lectures,  Judge  George  M.  Tuttle,  Dr.  I.  A.  Thayer,  H.  A. 
Garfield,  Hon.  E.  B.  Taylor,  A.  McLean,  Jessie  H.  Brown, 
Virgil  P.  Kline,  and  John  G.  Scover;  Music,  Dr.  J.  B.  Her- 
bert and  Miss  Addie  Zollars;  Art,  Mrs.  Alanson  Wilcox, 
and  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Dean ;  Oratory,  John  G.  Scover ;  and  Col- 
lege Work,  by  the  Professors  of  Hiram  College.  Some  of 
the  instructors  were  assigned  duties  in  more  than  one  depart- 
ment. The  result  of  the  experiment  was  very  satisfactory 
and  the  Summer  School  was  continued  for  several  years  at 
Hiram.  It  was  a  good  advertisement  for  the  college,  besides 
being  a  good  school  for  those  who  attended  it. 

As  early  as  i88S,  President  Zollars  and  the  Y.  M.  C. 
Association  began  to  agitate  the  question  of  a  new  college 
building.     The  increasing  interest  in  Lli- 
y'^m  r^l  ^^^"  College    over    a  widening    territory, 

BuildiiT^.  ^"^  t^^  consequent  increase  of  students, 

made  it  manifest  that  larger  accommoda- 
tions must  be  provided.  More  room  was  needed  for  chapel 
services,  recitation  rooms,  laboratory,  gymnasium  facilities, 
for  the  Art  department,  for  Christian  Association  work,  and 
other  purposes.  Every  available  part  of  the  old  building  had 
been  called  into  serv'ice  from  basement  to  dome.  Realizing 
the  need  of  more  room  in  which  to  successfully  prosecute 
their  work,  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Hiram 
took  the  initiative  looking  in  the  direction  of  a  new  building. 
On  invitation  Mr.  John  R.  Mott,  the  National  Secretary  of 


322  HISTOKV  OF  HIRAM  COLLi;GE. 

the  Y.  M.  C.  Association,  came  to  Hiram  and  addressed  the 
students.  His  presence  and  address  aroused  such  an  enthu- 
siasm that  $7,000  was  subscribed  by  the  students  for  the  new 
building.  The  colleg^e  was  invited  to  unite  in  the  enterprise, 
and  thus  secure  a  building  that  would  meet  the  wants  of  the 
various  Hiram  interests.  This  was  the  beginning,  but  just 
at  that  time  the  financial  depression  burdened  the  countr}-, 
and  the  work  was  delayed,  but  not  abandoned.  In  1S94  the 
enterprise  was  revived,  and  a  "rally  day"  was  appointed  in 
the  building  interest,  which  resulted  in  pledges  from  students, 
Faculty,  and  citizens  to  the  amount  of  $12,000.  Other  friends 
came  to  the  rescue,  an  architect  was  employed,  and  general 
plans  were  agreed  upon,  and  work  actively  begun  about  June 
I,  1895.  ^^^  plans  agreed  upon  were  prepared  by  Mr.  C.  C. 
Thayer,  of  New  Castle,  Pa.  The  anticipated  building  was 
to  consist  of  two  full  stories  in  front,  besides  the  attic  story 
and  the  basement  and  sub-basement.  The  first  floor  was  to 
be  used  for  library,  reading  room,  and  a  small  Association 
chapel.  The  Association  parlors  and  Bible  class  rooms  were 
to  occupy  the  second  story.  The  attic  story  was  to  be  used 
for  art  purposes  and  for  other  needs.  In  the  basement  were 
to  be  found  the  kitchen,  dining  room,  art  room,  and  barber 
shop,  while  the  sub-basement  would  be  given  up  to  the  fur- 
nace and  coal  rooms.  In  the  upper  part  of  the  rear  portion 
of  the  building  was  the  general  chapel,  with  a  seating  capac- 
ity on  floor  and  in  gallery  of  about  750.  Under  the  chapel 
was  the  gymnasium  and  bath  rooms  for  ladies  and  gentle- 
men. These  arrangements  have  been  somewhat  changed  in 
the  final  adjustment,  but  the  building  stands,  finished,  con- 
venient, and  complete,  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  and 
liberality  of  the  students,  the  Faculty  and  many  other  friends 
of  Hiram  College.  The  entire  cost  of  the  building  v/as 
$30,000.  The  value  of  the  new  building  to  the  College 
was  instantly  felt,  and  the  wonder  grew  how  for  so  long  a 


ADMINISTRATION  OF   E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1S88-I9OO.  323 

time  the  school  had  prospered  without  it.  Following  the 
completion  of  tlie  Association  building,  changes  were  made 
in  the  old  building  which  added  much  to  the  material  equip- 
ment of  the  Institution. 

The  musical  department  of  Hiram  College  has  always- 
been  an  important  department.    The  best  that  could  be  done 
under    existing    circumstances    has    been 
Hiram  College       done  by  those  who  successively  have  been 

,\r    .     ^        honored    with    its    administration.       The 
of  Music. 

conditions  have  varied  greatly  and  the 
measure  of  success  has  varied  in  consequence.  Among  those 
who  have  honored  the  department  and  whose  names  should 
be  written  large  in  the  annals  of  Hiram  are  Mrs.  Tillie  New- 
comb  Ellis,  Mrs.  Lizzie  Clapp  Robbins,  Mrs.  Addie  Zollars 
Page,  and  Mrs.  Lulu  Freeman  Pearcy.  Others  have  taught 
music,  vocal  and  instrumental,  for  brief  periods,  but  these 
were  at  the  head  for  a  series  of  years.    In  1897  the  Board  of 

Trustees  secured  Professor  Eugene  Feuch- 

^      if..  tinger  to  take  charge  of  the  Department 

Feuchtmger.  °        .  ^^  ^ 

of  Music.  He  had  already  proved  himself 
to  be  a  teacher  of  rare  ability  and  an  accomplished  musical 
scholar.  He  had  already  won  a  high  place  among  the  fore- 
most concert  pianists,  composers,  and  teachers  of  music.  He 
was  highly  recommended  by  such  composers  and  teachers  of 
music  as  Constantin  Von  Sternberg,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.; 
V/ilson  G.  Smith,  of  Cleveland,  O. ;  and  John  Howard,  of 
New  York.  Air.  Howard  said  of  him  :  "I  certainly  consider 
him  to  be  a  very  rare  prize.  It  is  very  seldom  that  the  com- 
bination of  talents  and  the  executive  ability  that  he  possesses 
can  be  found."  On  coming  to  Hiram  he  immediately  en- 
larged the  Department  of  Music  to  proportions  hitherto  im- 
attempted.  His  success  has  been  greater  than  the  most  san- 
guine anticipated,  and  tlie  Hiram  College  Conservatory  of 
Music  has  an  acknowledged  place  in  the  front  rank.     The 


324  inST(jRV  OV   HIRAM   COLLEGE. 

enrollment  of  the  first  year  reached  74,  with  an  average  en- 
rollment of  60  students  each  term.  His  assistants,  especially 
Miss  Clara  L.  Whissen,  deserve  the  praise  which  the  Direc- 
tor has  generously  given  them.  The  following  chronology 
of  Professor  Feuchtinger's  life  is  interestinsr: 

"Among  the  younger  circles  of  German-American  mu- 
sicians Professor  Eugene  Feuchtinger  has  made  himself 
especially  prominent.  As  a  son  of  the  celebrated  teacher, 
chorus  director,  organist,  Franz  Joseph  Feuchtinger,  in 
Wuerttenberg,  he  had  the  privilege  from  earliest  youth  of 
gaining  a  deep  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  music.  The  full- 
est comprehension  and  greatest  success  in  art  is  mostly 
gained  by  those  who  from  earliest  childhood  have  been  sur- 
rounded by  a  pure  art  atmosphere.  That  which  Richard 
Wagner  so  much  deplored — the  decay  of  musical  worship  in 
the  home — did  not  find  its  application  in  their  home.  The 
works  of  the  old  masters  were  with  love  and  devotion  played 
and  studied.  Piano,  organ,  string  quartettes,  songs,  espe- 
cially, too,  the  old  classic  church  music,  all  of  these  furnished 
an  art  atmosphere  of  rare  purity  and  beauty,  and  the  love 
for  this  beauty  destined  our  subject  for  the  profession  of 
music,  where  he  has  since  achieved  eminent  success.  He 
began  music  study  under  the  eyes  of  his 'father  at  the  age  of 
six  years.  Ilis  studies  were  chiefly  piano,  voice  and  organ. 
At  the  age  of  ten  he  was  selected  as  a  boy  alto  for  the  Cathe- 
dral of  his  city.  Two  years  later  he  accompanied  a  then  very 
celebrated  tenor  in  concerts  on  the  piano.  During  his  years 
at  the  Gymnasium  (German  equivalent  for  our  college)  he 
was  director  of  local  singing  societies.  Later  he  continued 
music  study,  especially  piano,  voice  and  theory,  under  the 
direct  pupils  of  Kullack  and  Liszt.  After  having  taught  and 
played  for  several  years  in  Germany,  he  followed  an  urgent 
invitation  by  his  uncle  to  America,  where  he  has  since  be- 
come favorably  known  through  his  teaching,  concerts  and 


ADMINISTRATION  OF   E.   V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-19OO.  325 

lectures  in  many  cities  of  the  eastern  and  western  States.  In 
1892  he  accepted  a  call  to  Bethany  College,  and  in  1897  to 
Hiram  College,  where  he  established  the  Conservatory  of 
Music  which,  with  the  assistance  of  able  teachers,  is  rapidly 
gaining  a  large  influence  in  the  musical  life  of  America."* 

There  have  been  many  and  radical  changes  in  the  Insti- 
tution at  Hiram  since  its  first  building  towered  above  the 
growing  corn  on  its  campus  in  1850;  but 

locA       I  innn        '"  nothiug  is  the  change  more  noticeable 

1850  and  1900.  *=  *=  ,  .         . 

than  m  the  condition  of  the  place  itself. 

Then  it  was  only  the  township  center  with  the  usual  cross- 
roads marking  the  four  points  of  the  compass.  Its  buildings 
were  few  and  mostly  plain  farm  houses,  with  their  attendant 
out-buildings.  A  small  school  house,  a  shop  or  two,  a  coun- 
try store  with  its  miscellaneous  assortment  of  shoes  and 
boots,  sugar  and  salt,  herring  and  powder,  dry-goods  and 
eggs,  and  a  plain  church  building  exhausted  its  public  build- 
ings. The  surrounding  country  was  not  yet  denuded  of  its 
forests  of  oak  and  maple,  beech  and  elm,  whose  green  pinna- 
cles had  for  centuries  caught  the  evening  dew,  and  tossed 
the  morning  sunshine  in  golden  flakes  on  the  few  cleared 
fields  below.  But  now  what  a  change!  The  forests  are 
mostly  gone,  the  fields  are  under  the  cultivation  of  the  intel- 
ligent and  well-read  farmer,  the  sugar-orchards  are  about 
the  only  evidence  that  forests  were  ever  there ;  and  on  every 
hand  the  country  house,  beautiful  in  design  and  convenient 
for  its  purpose,  is  seen  from  Hiram  Hill.  Instead  of  a  coun- 
try cross-roads,  a  hamlet  with  several  hundred  people  covers 
the  hill,  in  the  center  of  which  are  the  old  and  the  new  college 
buildings;  around  the  campus  arc  the  many  new  and  well- 
furnished  residences  with  their  inviting  verandas  and  well- 


*From  the  "  Centralblatt  fuer  Instrumental  Music,  Solo  und 
Chorgesanp,"  published  at  Stuttgart  and  Leipzig,  Germany,  Septem- 
ber 14,  1900. 


326  HISTORY  OF   inKA>{   COLLEGE. 

kept  lawns;  a  system  of  water  works   which   suppHcs  the 

hamlet  from  nevor-faiHng  springs:  an  electric  lighting  plant 

which  provides  abundant  light  for  all  the  inhabitants;  good 

roads  leading  to  the  railway  stations;  and  a  college  whose 

past  is  more  than  a  reminiscence  and  whose  future  is  full  of 

hope. 

During  the  period  under  consideration  much  had  been 

done  to  increase  the  influence  and  efficiency  of  the  College. 

Its  endowment  had  been  more  than  dou- 

^'^^^  bled  ;  its  facilities  for  taking  care  of  voung 

had  been  done   for     »     ,•        1      j    ,  ,1      •  "  j   il       .1 

„  ,,  ladies  had  been  greatlv  mcreased  by  the 

the  College.  °  -  -^ 

building  of  a  new  hall  and  the  improve- 
ment of  the  old  one:  a  music  building  had  been  provided  to 
the  great  advantage  of  the  Music  Department ;  the  beautiful 
and  commodious  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  build- 
ing had  been  built;  the  teaching  force  had  been  greatly  in- 
creased and  strengthened ;  accommodations  had  been  secured 
for  the  special  departments  of  Art  and  Oratory ;  through  the 
generosity  of  Dr.  Henry  Gerould  a  Missionary  Home  for 
young  ladies  of  limited  means  and  Christian  ambitions  had 
been  provided;  and  the  hamlet  had  been  well  provided  with 
light  and  water  and  improved  sidewalks. 

But  all  these  improvements  had  cost  money  which,  with. 
the  most  rigid  economy,  the  Board  of  Trustees  found  them- 
selves unable  to  meet  from  the  resources  of  the  Institution. 
Besides,  other  needs  were  continually  arising,  which  in  some 
way  must  be  met.  Manifestly  the  income  of  the  college  v.-as 
too  small  and  must  be  largely  increased  or  its  advance  must 
be  checked.  There  are  opportune  times  in  the  history  of 
men  and  institutions  v/hen  certain  things  in  their  interest 
may  be  done  easiest  and  best.  To  take  advantage  of  these 
occasions  is  prudent  and  wise.  Such  a  time  was  rapidly 
approaching  in  the  history  of  Hiram  College.  Its  fiftieth 
vear  would  close  with  the  centurv,  and  why  not  make  a  jubi- 


ADMINISTRATION  OF   E.    V.    ZOI-LARS,    1SSS-I9OO.  337 

lee  year  out  of  it,  and  ask,  not  the  rich  nor  the  poor,  but  the 

people  without  distinction,  to  help  to  send  it  into  the  new 

century  with  a  generous  purse  and  untrammeled  by  financial 

embarrassment. 

In  his    report    for  1898  President  Zollars    spoke    with 

much  earnestness  and  in  favor  of  immediate  action  by  the 

Board  of  Trustees  to  provide  means  to 

Committee  increase  the  permanent  endowment  fund 

^.    ,  ,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  by  the  time 

Endowment.  ,  ^ 

of  the  Jubilee  Commencement  in  1900. 
The  Board  resolved  to  place  the  whole  question  of  "methods 
for  increasing  the  endowment  in  the  hands  of  a  committee 
of  seven  persons,  three  of  whom  shall  be  members  of  the 
Finance  Committee,  the  remaining  members  to  be  appointed 
by  tlie  chair."  The  committee  appointed  consisted  of  W.  G. 
Dictz.  O.  G.  Kent,  B.  L.  Pennington,  H.  E.  McMillin,  Alan- 
son  Wilcox,  C.  E.  Henry  and  A.  Teachout. 

This  committee  had  numerous  meetings  during  the  year 
and  on  April  4,  1899,  decided  "that  all  endowment  pledges 
taken  for  Hiram  College  be  taken  on  approval  i)lc(lge  blanks 
and  deposited  with  W.  G.  Dietz,  chairman  of  the  Endow- 
ment Committee ;  that  the  territoi'y  canvassed  should  include 
a  complete  canvass  of  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Mich- 
igan, and  New  England,  and  that  agents  appointed  should 
confine  themselves  to  the  respective  fields  given  them  to  can- 
\ass ;  and  that  the  assignment  of  territory  and  instruction  to 
agents  and  other  details  be  left  to  President  Zollars,  his  ac- 
tion to  be  approved  by  the  Endowment  Committee,  and  that 
be  should  W  the  agent  of  the  committee  to  solicit  funds  from 
the  alumni." 

The  method  by  which  the  canvass  should  be  made,  after 
much  thought,  consideration    and    consultation,  finally  em- 
braced   the    following    particulars:     The 

„,       .  ,         ,         effort  should  be  made  to  increase  tlie  en- 
rlan  Adopted. 

dowment  fund  of  Hiram  College,  a  quar- 


328  HISTORY  OF  KIRAM  COLLEGE. 

ter  of  a  million  of  dollars  by  the  close  of  its  Jubilee  year ;  an 
effort  should  be  made  for  a  great  popular  movement  whereby 
thousands  of  the  friends  of  higher  education,  and  of  Hiram 
College  in  particular,  would  unite  in  one  supreme  effort  to 
place  the  college  on  a  permanent  financial  basis ;  the  weekly 
nevrspapers  among  the  Disciples  were  asked  to  lend  their 
assistance  to  the  movement,  and  without  exception  gener- 
ously and  gladly  consented  to  do  so;  the  Christian  Standard 
was  especially  liberal ;  and  large  space  was  given  in  all  the 
papers,  and  the  movement  was  extensively  advertised  in  the 
United  States  and  in  every  other  country  where  the  Disci- 
ples of  Christ  are  found;  special  agents  were  placed  in  the 
field  to  visit  churches,  give  addresses  on  higher  education, 
and  present  Hiram  College  and  its  work  by  stereopticon  lec- 
tures ;  all  were  asked  to  pledge  something,  from  one  dollar 
upwards,  and  pledge  cards  were  furnished  for  this  purpose ; 
individuals  were  to  be  solicited  for  larger  sums;  and  the 
alumni  were  asked  to  raise  not  less  than  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars. 

There  were  many  details  that  cannot  be  inserted  here 
and  some  changes  made  necessary  as  the  canvass  went  on. 
The  work  was  well  started  early  in  the  year  1899  and  prose- 
cuted vigorously  by  President  Zollars.  to  whom  had  been 
assigned  the  general  management ;  the  Financial  Secret:.ry, 
members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  special  friends  of  Hiram, 
members  of  the  Faculty,  and  agents  selected  to  canvass  spe- 
cial fields.  The  result  equaled  the  most  sanguine  expecta- 
tions. Perhaps  no  religious  people  were  ever  more  widely 
interested  in  an  educational  question  than  were  the  Disciples 
of  Christ  in  this  effort  to  endow  liberally  Hiram  College.  It 
was  the  first  really  great  thing  that  had  ever  been  attempted 
in  the  history  of  the  Institution.  Comparatively  it  was  a 
prodigious  undertaking;  but  from  the  time  the  movement 


BIG   HOLLOW. 


THE  SUGAK  CAMP. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-I9OO.  329 

was  fully  begun  to  its  close  no  one  who  put  his  hand  to  the 
plow  looked  back. 

A  complete  report  of  the  work  done  and  the  results 
achieved  could  not  be  made  in  June,  1900 — the  Jubilee  Com- 
mencement week.  It  is  not  likely  that  it 
The  Final  Report,  ever  will  be  made.  Springs  of  resource 
were  opened  that  had  only  begun  to  flow 
when  the  canvass  closed  on  Jubilee  Day.  But  of  that  which 
could  be  seen  and  tabulated  the  following  was  the  result : 
Money,  pledges,  annuity  funds  and  otherwise,  $242,488.  The 
cost  for  all  the  agencies  employed  was  about  $7,000.  Be- 
sides President  Zollars  and  Financial  Secretary  Hertzog, 
J.  L.  Darsie,  J.  L.  Garvin,  Alanson  Wilcox,  C.  R.  Scoville, 
B.  H.  Hayden,  J.  T.  Bridwell  and  others  canvassed  in  special 
fields.  The  sums  contributed  were  from  one  dollar  up  to 
tvv'enty-five  thousand  dollars.  The  contributors  numbered 
many  thousands.*  When  all  promised  is  gathered  together 
the  college  will  enter  upon  its  second  fifty  years  with  a  clear 
endowment  of  not  less  than  three  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  to  any  one  of  the  more 

prominent   persons   engaged   in   this   movement   to   largely 

increase  the  permanent  endowment  of  Hi- 
Oliver  Gan?  „    ,,  .1       1-       ,       1  r  1-     f 
„    .                   ram  College  the  lion  s  share  of  credit  for 
Hertzop;.                                     *= 

the  results,  without  doing  a  wrong  to  the 
others.  Of  necessity  there  was  a  leader  and  he  was  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  college,  but  with  him  were  many  others,  whom 
without  he  could  have  done  but  little.  Among  those  who  did 
much  in  the  accomplishing  of  the  glad  results  Avas  the  Finan- 
cial Secretary  or  Agent  of  the  college,  Oliver  Cans  Hertzog. 
Mr.  Hertzog  began  his  work  as  J'inancial  Secretar}-  Septem- 
ber I,  1891,  and  has  been  in  the  service  of  the  college  for 


*No  names  of  contributors  are  given  because  of  the  desire  of 
some  of  the  larj^est  donors  not  to  be  known,  and  the  impracticability 
of  getting  all  the  rest. 


33^  HISTORY  OF   HIRAM   COLLEGE. 

nearly  ten  consecutive  years.  With  one  or  two  excc])tior.s 
he  has  served  longer  in  this  office  than  any  of  his  predeces- 
sors. Only  five,  from  the  beginning  of  the  Western  Reserve 
Eclectic  Institute,  to  the  present,  have  been  in  continuous 
service  over  two  years.  These  are ;  Dr.  W.  A.  Belding, 
^^^  J.  Ford,  Lathrop  Cooley,  Alanson  Wilcox,  and  O.  G. 
liertzog.  The  value  of  a  long  service  in  this  department  of 
College  work  is  seen  in  the  annual  results  of  Mr.  Hertzog's 
labors.  He  is  able  to  do  much  more  now  than  he  could  do 
at  the  first.  The  seed  of  the  financier  must  have  time  to  ripen 
before  he  can  gather  his  crop.  Against  many  obstacles  and 
under  many  embarrassments  he  has  been  able  every  year  to 
add  something  to  the  material  resources  of  Hiram  College. 
\Vhen  he  began  his  service  he  was  47  years  of  age.  His  body 
v/as  sound,  his  presence  cheerful,  his  mind  w^ell  disciplined, 
Ills  acquaintance  extensive,  his  standing  among  the  Disciples 
favorable,  his  extended  business  training  was  in  his  favor, 
his  genius  for  hard  v/ork  was  soon  apparent,  and  his  interest 
in  young  people — all  these  qualifications  have  made  him  one 
of  the  best  all-around  helpers  Hiram  has  ever  had.  The 
chronology  of  his  busy  and  honorable  life  is  full  of  interest- 
ing facts :  He  was  born  in  Fayette  county.  Pennsylvania, 
.\pril  9,  1899,  the  sixth  child  in  a  family  of  eleven  children, 
and  of  good  old  German  stock.  His  mother's  name  was 
Susan  Gans,  from  whom  he  takes  his  middle  name.  He  was 
reared  on  a  Pennsylvania  farm.  In  his  young  manhood  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  His  public  education  began  in 
the  schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty 
he  taught  school.  Afterwards  he  took  the  full  course  in  the 
Southwestern  Normal  College  at  California,  Pa.,  and  entered 
Bethany  College,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  joined 
the  Baptist  Church  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  united  with  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  under  the  ministry  of  Alanson  Wilcox  at 
the  ao-e  of  twentv-one.     At  twenty-five  he  was  ordained  to 


ADillXlSTIlATK^X  OF   E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-1900.  33 1 

the  ministry  of  the  Word  of  God  by  John  F.  Rowe  and  Sam- 
uel B.  Teagarden,  and  began  his  hfe-work  as  a  preacher  with 
tlie  old  Pigeon  Creek  Church  in  Washington  coimty,  Penn- 
S3dvania.  October  28,  1869,  ^1*2  was  married  to  Ella  ^I. 
Reader,  of  Coal  Center,  Pa.,  a  former  classmate  of  his  at 
school.  As  a  pastor  and  envangelist  he  was  successful,  as 
well  as  in  the  business  management  of  churches.  He  was 
elected  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Pennsylvania  Chris- 
tian Missionary  Society,  and  about  the  same  time  he  was 
elected  to  a  similar  position  by  the  Disciples  of  New  York. 
He  chose  the  New  York  work  and  began  his  labors  at  Sus- 
pension Bridge,  October  i,  1870,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  During  this  time  he  planted  a  church  at  Pekin  and 
held  a  successful  meeting  in  Buffalo.  In  1874  he  located  in 
Buffalo,  where  he  remained  two  years  and  then  took  up 
evangelistic  work  for  the  "Wellington  Co-operation"  in  Can- 
ada, where  he  labored  successfully  for  three  years.  He  then 
returned  to  Suspension  Bridge,  where  he  remained  for  a 
year.  He  then  returned  to  Canada,  holding  meetings  and 
plaining  churches.  During  his  entire  service  in  Canada  he 
baptized  several  hundred  people  and  organized  eight 
churches.  June  i,  1881,  he  received  the  appointment  of 
special  agent  of  the  United  States  Treasury  for  the  Niagara 
District,  which  position  he  filled  for  four  and  one-half  years, 
resigning  to  accept  the  work  of  Evangelist  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  New  York  Christian  Missionary  Society.  This 
place  he  held  for  nearly  seven  years,  preaching  almost  con- 
stantly. During  this  period  churches  were  established  at 
Frcedonia,  Wellsville,  and  Rochester:  and  more  than  four 
years  of  this  time  was  spent  with  the  church  in  Rochester. 
It  is  not  possible  to  sum  up  the  results  of  these  l)usy  years. 
It  can  1)e  said,  however,  llial  they  were  not  small  and  they 
were  highly  appreciated  by  the  beneficiaries.  September  i, 
1891,  he  began  his  work  for  Hiram  College.    He  has  been  a 


332  {ITSTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

faithful  servant  to  the  Institution  and  a  most  valuable  ad- 
junct to  all  its  other  agencies  in  increasing  the  number  of 
students,  enlarging  its  finances,  and  advertising  its  interests 
far  and  wide.  He  has  never  been  a  beggar  for  position,  but 
his  services  have  ahvays  been  in  demand ;  and  it  was  provi- 
dential that  he  was  so  v.xll  equipped  morally,  intellectually, 
physically,  and  in  business  capacity  for  the  time  and  place 
he  has  filled  in  the  history  of  Hiram. 

Early  in  the  administration  of  President  Zollars  it  was 

suggested  that  "a  fund  that  could  be  used  to  aid  students  in 

limited  circumstances  would  contribute  largely  to  Hiram's 

power  for  good."    Acting  on  this  sugges- 

The  Phillips         ^i^^^  fjQj^  J   ^y_  Phillips,  of  New  Castle, 

T  E>     J  I^a..  a  Christian  man  of  financial  ability. 

Loan    Fund.  .  .  -  ' 

excellent  judgment,  and  generous  im- 
pulses, in  1 89 1  placed  $5,000  under  certain  limitations  at  the 
disposal  of  the  College.  This  sum  was  accepted  as  the 
"Phillips'  Ministerial  Loan  Fund,"  and  has  been  of  great 
benefit  to  a  large  number  of  young  men,  as  the  annual  re- 
ports of  the  President  show.  This  fund  is  managed  by  spe- 
cial trustees  who  are  at  this  time  Alanson  Wilcox,  E. 
V.  Zollars,  and  E.  E.  \A'akefield.  By  an  agreement  with  Mr. 
Phillips  in  1897,  the  trustees  were  permited  to  use  a  portion 
of  this  fund  in  the  erection  of  a  building  named  "Independ- 
ence Hall,"  which  will  accommodate  twenty  young  men. 
Rooms  are  furnished  at  twenty-five  cents  a  week  for  each 
student  and  board  costs  one  dollar.  Mr.  Phillips  has  always 
been  a  warm  friend  of  the  College  and  his  gifts,  though 

liberal,  have  never  been  heralded  by  noise. 

rr.  \^P^?.M-°  Thomas  W.  Phillips  was  born  Februarv 

T.  W,  Phillips.  .  ' 

23,  1835,  m  Lawrence  county,  Pennsylva- 
nia, the  youngest  of  eight  children.  His  father  died  when 
he  was  ten  years  of  age.  His  early  school  life  was  limited, 
and  of  college  opportunities  he  had  none ;  but  he  was  of  stu- 


ADMINISTRATION  OP  E.   V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-19OO.  333 

dious  habit  and  inquiring  mind  and  through  books,  observa- 
tion and  experience,  he  compassed  the  range  and  purpose  of 
college  work,  and  became  well  informed  in  history,  biogra- 
phy, science  and  literature.  While  yet  a  young  man,  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Phillips  Brothers,  which 
ranked  among  the  greatest  oil  producers  of  the  world.  In  his 
business  he  has  been  remarkably  successful  though  like 
thousands  of  others  he  has  seen  densely  dark  days,  but  in 
every  hour  of  gloom  or  sunshine  the  eleventh  chapter  of  He- 
brews has  been  his  "Confession  of  Faith."  He  has  been  en- 
trusted with  numerous  honorable  and  responsible  positions 
by  business  associates  and  fellow  citizens  and  in  all  of  them 
he  has  proved  himself  to  be  a  man  of  judgment,  honor,  and 
business  sagacity.  From  1892  to  1896  he  represented  his 
Congressional  District  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 
Here  as  elsewhere  !ic  held  an  influential  position  among  the 
best  Representatives  of  the  country.  His  home  life  is  happy ; 
his  service  to  the  church  unostentatious  and  generous ;  and  as 
a  friend  of  Hiram  and  Bethany,  a  Trustee  of  both  Institu- 
tions, his  presence  is  always  grateful  and  his  friendship 
greatly  prized. 

In  the  progress  of  the  work  at  Hiram  a  cottage   for 
young  women  of  limited  means  became  as  much  of  a  neces- 
sity and  as  desirable  as  a  Hall  for  young  men  in  similar  cir- 
cumstances. It  was  suggested  that  a  build- 
A  Cottage  for  .         ,  •  1     ,  •  1  •   , 

Young  Women.  '"^  ^^  provided  in  which  room  rent  could 
be  provided  at  a  nominal  sum,  and  the 
young  women  could  have  the  privilege  of  doing  their  own 
work,  and  avail  themselves  of  the  benefit  of  co-operative 
boarding  at  the  lowest  possible  cost.  In  1897  Dr.  Henry  Ger- 
ould,  of  Cleveland,  O.,  proposed  to  solve  this  problem  by  the 
erection  of  an  addition  to  Miller  Hall  to  be  known  as  "Ger- 
ould  Missionary  Cottage,"  into  which  young  ladies  preparing 
for  the  home  or  foreign  missionary  fields,  and  the  children 


334  HISTORY  OF   HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

of  missionaries  should  be  received  free  of  charge.  This  cot- 
tage, comfortable  and  convenient,  was  built  and  equipped  by 
Dr.  Gerould,  and  is  a  monument  at  Hiram  of  the  great-heart- 
ed, humble,  and  generous  Christian  man.  ]\Iany  loved  him 
V.  liile  he  lived  and  labored,  but  more  will  speak  his  name 
with  pleasure  and  appreciation  as  the  years  go  on. 

Henry  Gerould  was  born  in  Smithfield,  Pa.,  March  6. 

1829.    He  was  five  generations  removed  from  a  Huguenot 

ancestry.     The  fact  that  the  blood  of  that  brave,  intelligent 

and    liberty-loving   people   flowed   in    his 

veins  accounts  for  manv  of  the  traits  of 

Biography  of  ,  ,  ,..'.,,,. 

Dr.  Henry  Gerould     character     that    distmguished    hmi     and 

adorned  his  life.     In  1847  1^^  united  v/ith 

the  Church  of  Christ  under  the  preaching 

of  Dr.  Silas  E.  Shepard  and  devoted  himself  from  that  time 

to  a  life  of  service  and  self-sacrifice. 

In  1864  he  graduated  in  medicine,  having  studied  for 
several  years  in  a  medical  college  at  Geneva,  Xew  York,  and 
later  at  Hudson,  O. 

He  practiced  medicine  for  several  years  at  Bedford, 
Ohio.  From  Bedford  he  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  where  he 
spent  some  time  in  the  hospitals  of  that  city.  From  Boston 
he  came  to  Massillon,  O.,  where  he  remained  until  1874, 
when  he  removed  to  Cleveland,  O.,  which  was  his  home  until 
his  death  November  10.  1900. 

In  1870  he  married  Julia  J.  Clapp,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Clapp,  of  Mentor,  O.  It  was  a  happy  and  strong  union  of 
heart  and  soul ;  and  in  all  his  planning,  and  giving  and  doing 
he  had  her  encouragement  and  approval.  To  them  three 
children  were  born,  but  in  1883  all  of  them  passed  out  of  their 
home  to  the  "home  appointed  for  all  the  living."  From  that 
time  Dr.  Gerould  and  his  wife  determined  to  make  their  own 
home,  though  desertca  by  children,  beautiful  by  filling 
other  hearts  and  homes  with  joy  and  sunshine,  and  thus 
brigfhten  and  bless  the  world. 


AD.MIXISTRATION   OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    188S-I9OO.  335 

He  was  an  active  worker  in  Sunday-school  and  church ; 
and  for  educational  and  missionary  interests  he  had  an  in- 
telligent zeal  and  a  philanthropic  impulse.  He  was  a  man  of 
clear-cut  convictions :  and  those  who  knew  him,  knevv  where 
he  stood  on  all  questions  of  temperance,  morality,  religion, 
education,  and  all  needed  reforms.  His  personality  was 
forceful  and  he  could  not  efface  himself.  Dr.  Gerould  was  a 
man  of  admirable  qualities.  He  was  prompt  and  exact  in 
keeping  his  engagements.  He  was  honest  and  honorable  in 
all  his  dealings  with  men.  He  was  courteous,  considerate 
and  faithful  in  every  relation  of  life.  He  knew  how  to  be 
abased  and  how  to  abound.  "He  stood  the  test  of  poverty 
and  adversity;  and  the  severer  test  of  prosperity.  He  en- 
deared himself  to  many  thousands  as  a  physician,  as  a  friend, 
and  as  a  worker  in  the  cause  of  God  and  humanity.  When 
the  ear  heard  him,  it  blessed  him ;  when  the  eye  saw  him,  it 
gave  witness  to  him.  The  blessing  of  him  that  vv^as  ready  to 
perish  came  upon  him ;  caused  the  widov^^'s  heart  to  sing  for 
joy.  He  was  a  father  to  the  poor  and  his  name  shall  be  held 
in  everlasting  remembrance  and  honor ;"  and  Hiram  will  not 
be  among  the  least  of  those  who  honor  his  name  and  bless  his 
memory. 

Among  the  institutions  related    to  Hiram  and    not  in 

Hiram  is  the  "Hiram  House"  located  in  Cleveland,  O.    At 

the  opening  of  the  college  year  in  September,  1895,  the  Home 

Mission  class  was  organized  among  others. 

The  It  too^"^'  ^'P  ^t  once  the  study  of  sociological 

"Hiram  House"     questions,  as  outlined  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

in  Cleveland,  O.  Hand  Book  by  Prof.  Graham  Taylor,  the 
leader  in  the  "Common's  work"  in  Chica- 
go. The  class  grew  in  numbers  and  in  enthusiasm  until  at 
the  suggestion  of  Mr.  F.  G.  Strickland  a  Sociological  Club 
was  formed  which  finally  resulted  in  establishing  the  Hiram 
House — a  social  settlement  in  one  of  the  poorest  and  most 


336  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

needy  wards  in  the  city  of  Cleveland.    The  original  "Social 

Settlement  Board"  consisted  of  E.  V.  Zollars,  A.  C.  Pierson, 

B.  S.  Dean,  E.  B.  Wakefield,  H.  M.  Page,  A.  P.  Frost,  May 

Strickland,  Helen  Stoolfire,  Carrie  Goodrich,  G.  A.  Bellamy, 

II.  C.  Kenyon  and  F.  G.  Strickland.    At  the  beginning  of  the 

work  in  Cleveland  Mr.  F.  G.  Strickland  became  manager. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  G.  A.  Bellamy  who  still  holds  the 

position. 

"The  'Settlement'  is  simply  a  houseful  of  open-hearted 

and  intelligent  men  or  women  who  approach  the  poor,  not 

as  visitants  from  another  world,  but  as  dw^ellers  in  the  same 

block  or  ward,  as  finding  a  pleasure  (and 
What  the  ..  ,         '  '^c  ^..  \  . 

o  ^^,         ^ .  It  IS  a  real  pleasure,  not  a  fictitious  one)  in 

Settlement  is.  ^  '  .        ^ 

the  acquaintance  of  their  fellow-inhabit- 
ants, and  as  claiming  a  share  in  the  life  of  that  quarter  of 
the  town,  and  a  right  to  contribute  whatever  they  may  have 
in  the  way  of  books,  or  music,  or  pictures,  or  general  infor- 
mation, or  meeting  rooms  or  acquaintances  to  the  well  being 
of  the  community  to  which  they  belong.  This  establishes  the 
relation  of  the  'Settlement'  to  its  environment  as  natural  in- 
stead of  artificial,  it  leaves  no  room  for  patronage  on  the  one 
side  or  servility  on  the  other." 

Hiram  House  is  founded  on  the  principle  of  brother- 
hood.   Its  method  of  work  will  be  neighborliness.  Its  efforts 
will  be  undenominational,  and  its  work  will  be  religious  only 
as  human  brotherhood  is  religious.     Its 
The  hope  is  to  become  a  part  of  the  life  of  its 

Aim  and  Principle    ^^^.^^  ward,  becoming  SO  by  personal  help- 

„.   °    „  fulness.    In  helping  the  masses,  its  wish  is 

Hiram  Hou.se.  i      o  r    j. 

to  help  to  remove  the  cause  of  distress. 

Further  than  this  we  do  not  commit  ourselves  to  any  social 
program  regarding  the  vexed  industrial  and  economic  prob- 
lems of  the  day.  Our  aim  is  to  give  not  alms  but  life,  not 
charity  but  love. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1S8S-I9OO.  33^ 

From  the  beginning  the  "Hiram  House"  has  been  a  suc- 
cess; and  it  is  now  recognized  as  a  vakiable  agency  by  the 
city  authorities  and  many  citizens,  in  the  solution  of  the  prob- 
lem of  the  social  condition  and  life  in  the  submerged  districts 
of  large  cities. 

There  are  some  members  of  the  Faculty 
B  ■  f  Sk  t  h       f     ^^  Hiram  College  for  1900  whose  names 
Members  of         have  already  been  mentioned  but  concern- 
Hiram  Faculty       ing  whom  no  sketch  of  their  lives  has  been 
for  1900.  given.     The  following  brief  sketches  are 

in  their  honor : 
Edwin  Lester  Hall,  Professor  of  Latin  Language  and 
Literature,  and  Principal  of  the  Preparatory  Department  was 
born  in  Richfield,  Summit  County,  Ohio.    He  was  a  farmer's 
boy  and  obtained  his  earlier  education  in 
,j  ,,  the  District  School,  and  later  at  the  High 

School  of  that  place.  He  entered  Hiram 
College  in  1882  and  graduated  in  1886.  After  his  gradua- 
tion he  spent  one  year  in  Hiram  as  Assistant  Professor  of 
Latin.  He  then  went  to  New  Castle,  Pa.,  and  taught  one  year 
in  the  Pligh  School  of  that  city.  In  1888  he  returned  to  Hi- 
ram, where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  He  fills  his  place 
in  the  College  Faculty  with  dignity,  and  with  a  growing  in- 
fluence and  scholarly  grace.  He  is  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties,  kind  and  obliging,  and  worthy  of  the  love  and 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 

Harlan  Myron  Page  was  born    in  Kalamazoo  County, 
Michigan,  May  30,  1867.    He  graduated  from  the  Bedford 
High  School  in  1867.    After  spending  one  year  in  the  Uni- 
versity  of   Michigan   he  entered    Hiram 
Harlan  Myron       College  and  was  graduated  with  the  class 
^^^'  of  1890.     In   1891  he  attended  two  full 

courses  of  lectures  in  the  medical  schools  of  the  Western  Re- 
serve, and  Wooster  Universities.    In  1892  he  received  the  de- 


338  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM   COLLEGE. 

gree  of  M.  D.  from  Jefferson  ^Medical  College  in  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.  For  one  year  he  practiced  medicine  at  Warren,  O. 
In  1893  he  was  elected  to  the  Chair  of  Biology  and  Science  in 
PliramCollege,  which  position  he  still  holds.  With  a  cultured 
mind,  a  true  heart,  a  careful  medical  student  and  a  successful 
practitioner;  quick  to  discern  and  apt  to  teach,  he  is  well 
fitted  for  the  responsible  position  which  he  holds  in  the  Col- 
lege Faculty. 

Hugh  McDiarmid  was  born  near  Morpeth,  County  of 
Kent,  Ontario,  Canada,  June  10,  1837,  where  he  received  his 
early  education.  For  five  years  he  was  a  teacher  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  vicinity.  In  1863  he 
Hugh  McDiarmid.  entered  Bethany  College,  West  Va.,  where 
he  graduated  with  honor  in  1867.  After 
leaving  Bethany  he  preached  for  the  church  at  Barnesville, 
0.,  from  which  place  he  was  called  to  the  head  of  a  collegiate 
Institute  at  Winchester,  Ky.  In  1875  he  removed  to  Toronto, 
Canada,  where  he  did  evangelistic  work  for  the  Wellington 
Co-operation  and  edited  "The  Christian  Sentinel,"  a  religious 
magazine,  at  the  same  time.  In  1883  he  became  associate  edi- 
tor of  "The  Christian  Standard"  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  then  un- 
der the  superb  management  of  Isaac  Errett,  a  prince  among 
editors.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Errett  December  19,  1888, 
he  became  editor  of  the  Standard  and  held  the  place  until  his 
election  to  the  Presidency  of  Bethany  College  in  1892. 

In  1896  he  came  to  Hiram  as  Professor  of  Church  His- 
tory and  Homiletics,  a  position  he  yet  occupies.  In  1896 
Bethany  College  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  an 
honor  most  worthily  bestowed. 

As  a  citizen  his  loyalty  is  unquestioned;  as  a  man  his 
character  is  stainless ;  as  a  scholar  he  holds  no  mean  rank ;  as 
a  thinker  and  logician  he  is  worthy  of  the  steel  of  any  foe- 
man;  and  as  a  Christian  his  faith  in  the  Word  of  God  is  un- 
corrupted  and  incorruptible. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-19OO.  339 

Elmer  Ellsworth  Snoddy,  Professor  of  Classical  Greek 
was  born  May  13,  1863,  in  Stilesville,  Ind.  His  first  years 
were  spent  in  Delphi  and  Indianapolis.  When  he  was  five 
years  old  his  parents  moved  to  a  farm  near 
Elmer  E.  Snoddy.  Remington  where  he  received  his  early  ed- 
ucation, partly  from  the  district  school  and 
partly  from  his  father,  who  was  an  able  and  experienced 
teacher.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  began  to  teach,  teaching 
during  the  winter  months  and  spending  the  summers  on  his 
father's  farm.  In  1882  his  parents  moved  to  St.  Lawrence, 
South  Dakota,  and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Hand 
County  in  that  new  state.  He  still  continued  teaching  during 
the  winter  months  in  Indiana.  In  1887  he  became  a  Chris- 
tian and  in  1888  he  began  to  preach.  He  preached  for  one 
year  in  Indiana,  and  for  two  years  in  South  Dakota  before 
coming  to  Hiram.  He  was  State  Evangelist  of  South  Da- 
kota when  he  entered  Hiram  College  in  the  fall  of  1891.  He 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1896,  and  during  his  Senior 
year  he  taught  in  the  Greek  Department  of  the  College.  Im- 
mediately after  his  graduation  he  was  chosen  as  Instructor  of 
Greek  in  Hiram  College;  but  he  soon  reached  the  rank  of 
Professor  of  Classical  Greek,  a  position  for  which  he  is  emi- 
nently qualified.  As  a  Greek  scholar  he  is  brilliant  as  well  as 
accurate ;  and  for  his  age  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  his  su- 
perior. He  is  a  born  teacher  and  the  Professor's  chair  is  his 
throne  rather  than  the  pulpit.  Courteous,  intelligent  and 
genial,  he  is  a  favorite  with  students  and  citizens  alike. 

Charles  T.   Paul   was  born  in   Bowmanville,   Ontario, 

Canada,  in   1869.     Educated  first  in  the  Public  and   High 

Schools  of  that  town.    Afterwards  for  ten  years  pursued  the 

study   of    Modern  Languages  principally 

Charles  Thomas      ^„^^j^.j.  prgnch,  German  and  Italian  Spc- 

Paul.  ...  ,  ,  ,  .   , 

cialists.      Also    took    special    university 
courses  in  Philosophy  and  Oriental  Languages. 


340  HISTORY    OF    IIIRAM    COLLEGE. 

In  1888  founded  the  Meisterschaft  School  of  Linguistry 
in  Toronto,  Ont.,  an  institution  which  still  exists  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition  under  a  well  known  European  master. 

In  1890  became  principal  of  the  Toronto  School  of  Lan- 
guages, in  which  seventeen  languages,  including  orientals, 
classics  and  moderns  were  offered.  On  the  faculty  were  as- 
sociated with  Mr.  Paul  lecturers  and  honor  graduates  of  To- 
ronto University,  and  one  graduate  of  a  Japanese  University. 
The  majority  of  the  students  of  this  school  were  teachers  or 
professors  who  came  to  avail  themselves  of  the  special  ad- 
vantages in  Modern  Languages.  The  work  differed  from  the 
ordinary  university  courses  in  that  the  students  were  given 
an  actual  speaking  knowledge  of  French,  German,  Spanish, 
and  Italian. 

While  in  Toronto  Mr.  Paul  was  in  frequent  demand  to 
interpret  public  lectures  for  foreign  speakers. 

In  1891  he  was  married  to  Miss  Jessie  Williams,  of  Oak- 
ville. 

In  1894  he  was  appointed  Professor  of  English  Rhetoric 
in  the  Delsarte  College  of  Oratory,  also  in  the  same  year  be- 
came editor  of  "The  Tibetan,"  a  journal  devoted  to  the  relig- 
ious, philological,  and  ethnological  questions  of  Central  Asia, 
The  journal  attracted  considerable  attention  in  America  and 
Asia,  and  from  its  scientific  value  was  recognized  by  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington.  He  also  delivered 
lectures  in  many  cities  and  towns  of  Ontario  on  Central 
Asiatic  questions. 

In  1895  Mr.  Paul  united  with  the  Disciples  of  Christ, 
and  began  the  publication  of  "The  Christian  Messenger," 
which  is  still  the  organ  of  the  Disciples  in  Ontario.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Cecil  Street 
Church,  Toronto,  where  he  succeeded  W.  J.  Lhamon,  and 
carried  on  a  successful  work  until  January,  1900,  when  he 
came  to  the  chair  of  Modern  Languages  in  Hiram  College. 


ADMIivTISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    1S8S-I9OO.  34I 

Miss  Marcia  Henry,  Assistant  Professor  of  Latin  and 
Greek,  and  Principal  of  the  Ladies'  Department,  is  of  direct 
descent  in  the  student  line  of  the  Hiram  fellowship.  Her 
father,  Captain  Charles  E.  Henry  was  a 
student  in  the  days  of  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute, his  name  appearing  on  the  roll  of  the  Institution  for  the 
year  1858.  Her  mother,  Sophia  Williams  Henry,  made  her 
first  entry  into  Hiram  as  a  student  in  the  year  1859.  Her 
grandfather,  Frederick  Williams,  was  a  member  of  the  first 
Board  of  Trustees,  and  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Insti- 
tution ;  and  he  offered  the  first  resolution  in  a  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  providing  for  the  change  from  Western 
Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  to  Hiram  College.  Miss  Henry 
was  born  October  13,  1869,  at  Geauga  Lake  near  Solon,  O. 
Her  student  life  at  Hiram  was  always  faithful  and  efficient. 
She  graduated  from  Hiram  College  in  1891,  and  after  her 
graduation  accepted  a  position  in  the  public  schools  of  Men- 
tor, Ohio.  In  the  fall  of  1893  she  returned  to  Hiram  as  As- 
sistant Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek  and  Principal  of  the 
Ladies'  Department,  a  position  she  has  held  with  credit  to 
herself  and  to  the  college  ever  since. 

Frank  Home  Kirkpatrick,  Professor  of 
Frank  Home  r^     ,  ,  1,111 

Kirk  atrick  Oratory,    has    conducted    his   department 

with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  College. 
Miss  Kate  S.  Parmly,  Assistant  in  the  Ladies'  Depart- 
ment of  Hiram  College,  was  born  in  Perry,  Lake  county, 
Ohio,  September  20,  1855.    She  was  a  student  at  Vassar  in 
1872.     In  1892  she  took    the  Degree    of 
^'      Bachelor  of  Elocution  from  the  Cleveland 
School  of  Oratory,  and  later  the  Degree  of  Master  of  Elocu- 
tion from  the  same  school.     In  the  fall  of  1897  she  came  to 
Hiram.    Her  work  at  Pliram  has  revealed  the  cultured  Chris- 
tian woman  and  the  accomplished  and  faithful  teacher. 

Miss  Clara  Louise  Whisscn,  Teacher  of  Piano,  Violin, 


342  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 

etc.,  in  the  Department  of  Music,  is  worthy  of  high  praise. 

In  natural  gifts,  culture  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  music, 

in  enthusiastic  devotion  to  her  work  she 

,„,^.  excels.     She  studied  under  the  celebrated 

Whissen. 

Henry  Schradrich  in  the  Cincinnati  Con- 
servatory of  Music,  and  later  was  a  pupil  of  Jacobsohn.  She 
has  taught  in  Westminster  College,  Pa. ;  Shepardson  Semi- 
nary and  Mt.  Vernon  College.  In  the  fall  of  1897  she  accept- 
ed her  present  position  in  Hiram  College,  as  teacher  of  vio- 
lin and  stringed  instruments  and  assistant  instructor  of 
piano.  She  is  a  pianist  and  violinist  of  rare  ability,  and  as  a 
teacher  she  has  been  eminently  successful. 

William  A.  MacKenzie,  who  has  charge 

William  A.  of  the  Business  Department  of  the  College 

MacKenzie.         is  steadily  growing  in  favor;  and  as  his 

ability  as  a  teacher  becomes  manifest  his 

patronage  correspondingly  increases. 

Mrs.  Emma  Johnson  Dean's  connection  with  Hiram  Col- 
lege as  student  and  teacher  is  earlier  than  that  of  any  other  of 
the  present  Faculty.    From  i866-'68  she  had  charge  of  the 
Art  Class.     In  1882  after  an  absence  of 
mma  Jo  nson       thirteen  years,  she  returned  to  Hiram  and 
Dean.  •'  '  1       »       x>, 

again  took  up  her  work  ni  the  Art  Depart- 
ment. She  has  thoroughly  prepared  herself  for  the  position 
she  holds  under  the  best  teachers  accessible.  Within  recent 
years  she  has  added  the  art  of  China  decoration  to  her  other 
accomplishments,  and  at  present  is  teacher  of  China  decora- 
tion and  pastel.  Her  character  and  generous  gifts  of  mind 
and  heart  have  received  a  just  tribute  from  all  who  have  come 
under  her  influence,  and  her  life  has  been  an  adornment  to 
Hiram  and  Hiram  College. 

Miss  Allie  Mabel  Dean.  Teacher  of  Still  Life  and  Draw- 
ing, daughter  of  Professor  B.  S.  and  Emma  Johnson  Dean, 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.    V.    ZOLLARS,    18S8-I9OO.  343 

graduated  from  Hiram  College  in   1895, 
Allie  Mabel  receiving  the  Degree  of  Ph.  B.     In  1896 

she  went  to  Oberlin  to  study  art,  and  later 
studied  at  Cleveland  in  the  Art  Club.  In  the  fall  of  1896  she 
began  to  teach  in  the  Art  Department  of  Hiram  College,  a 
position  she  still  holds.  Her  work  is  highly  commended  and 
her  personal  character  commands  the  respect  of  all. 

Miss  Emma  O.  Ryder  received  the  Degree  of  A.  B.  from 
Hiram  College  in  1890  and  the  Master's  Degree  in  1894.  For 

several  years  after  her  graduation  she  was 
Emma  O.  Ryder,      engaged  in  public  school  w^ork,  in  which 

she  was  very  successful.  In  the  fall  of 
1896  she  was  chosen  Librarian,  and  Secretary  of  the  Faculty 
of  Hiram  College.  For  this  work  she  is  well  prepared  and 
the  College  interests  are  the  gainer  by  her  service. 

The  standard  and  literary  curricula  of  Hiram  College  are 
very  complete,  and  rank  in  strength  with  the  courses  of  the 
best  American  Colleges.    They  are  designed  for  such  persons 

as  have  the  time  and  means  and  desire  to 

Courses  of  Study.  i      j    j  r     j.    j  xr 

^       pursue  an  extended  course  of  study,     if 

there  were  nothing  else  the  discipline  of  such  a  course  is  of 
the  highest  value. 

The  Ministerial,  Legal  and  Medical  courses  meet  the 
wants  of  some  students  who  wish  to  shape  their  college 
course  with  special  reference  to  their  chosen  field  of  work. 
Each  of  the  professional  courses,  however,  represents  as 
much  work,  and  yields  as  much  mental  discipline,  as  the  reg- 
ular Classical,  Scientific  or  Literary  Course.  The  Teachers' 
Course  is  arranged  with  special  reference  to  the  wants  of 
common  school  teachers.  The  English  Ministerial  Course 
is  intended  to  meet  the  wants  of  persons  who,  through  force 
of  circumstances,  have  been  denied  large  educational  advan- 
tages until  it  is  too  late  to  undertake  a  long  course  of  study, 
or  who  may  have  been  prevented  for  other  reasons  from  un- 


344  HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE, 

dertaking  extended  lines  of  work.  The  Business  Course  pro- 
vides two  years  of  solid  work,  and  is  designed  to  furnish 
ample  preparation  for  mercantile  and  general  business  pur- 
suits. The  Post-Graduate  Courses  are  arranged  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  students  who  have  graduated  in  some  reg- 
ular course  and  desire  to  win  the  Master's  Degree.  The  an- 
nual catalogs  of  the  College  furnish  information  in  detail 
concerning  these  courses. 

Commencement  week,  June  i6  to  June  22,  1900,  marked 
a  distinct  period  in  the  history  of  Hiram  College.     A  half 
century  had  passed  since  its  founders  had  stood  in  joyful  an- 
ticipation   by    its    new-laid     foundations. 
Commencement        ,,-,1  ,      r  ji  1     j  -^^1  •      .-.vi 

w    k    1900  most  of  them  had  gone  withm     the 

low  green  tent  whose  curtains  never  out- 
ward svvung."  The  enthusiastic  motor  which  had  moved  the 
Institution  in  its  earliest  years  had  been  replaced  by  the 
sober,  steady  push  of  later  years,  made  necessary  by  competi- 
tion, financial  stress,  and  a  faith  n:iade  strong  by  works. 
Nearly  all  Vvdio  had  honored  the  classrooms  of  the  Institution 
at  the  beginning  and  made  them  famous  were  only  memories 
to  those  who  constituted  the  student  body  of  1900.  The  ten 
thousand  students  who  had  entered  its  halls  in  the  days  long 
since  past,  if  living,  were  among  the  old  and  gray-headed 
men  and  women  of  the  present  and  their  children  were  the 
stars  that  shone  in  the  sky  of  their  evening.  The  evening 
and  the  morning  had  appeared  in  regular  alternation  for 
more  than  eighteen  thousand  times  since  Principal  A.  S. 
Hayden,  then  in  the  prime  of  his  young  manhood,  led  the 
"foremost  files"  of  j^oung  men  and  women  who  became  at  the 
last  the  queens  of  the  home,  the  masters  of  the  farm  and  the 
counter,  the  wizards  that  play  with  elemental  forces,  the 
great  lights  of  the  school  and  the  college,  the  expound- 
ers of  law,  the  able  and  skillful  practitioners  of  medicine, 
the  eloquent  preachers  of  the  "faithful  word,"  and  the  ruling 
hands  of  the  great  Republic. 


STREET  VIEW 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.   V.    ZOLLARS,    1SS8-I90O.  345 

This  great  week  had  been  looked  forward  to  for  many 
months  as  the  crowning  period  of  an  honorable  history  begot- 
ten of  good;  and  like  a  carefully  trained  and  nurtured  life 
had  reached  a  summit  from  whose  height  could  be  seen  to  its 
hungry  horizon  the  unmistakeable  signs  of  success. 

In  the  vigor  of  its  administration,  in  the  number  and  de- 
portment of  the  students,  in  the  strength  of  its  work,  in  the 
scope  and  strength  of  its  teaching  and  teaching  force,  in  the 
cost  of  its  work,  in  its  religious  fervor  and  results,  in  atten- 
tion to  the  physical  needs  of  the  students,  in  the  sharp  com- 
petition of  its  literary  societies,  in  the  large  increase  of  its 
permanent  endowment,  and  in  the  general  interest  awakened 
in  favor  of  the  Institution,  the  jubilee  year  had  surpassed  all 
others. 

The  program  for  the  week  was  elaborately  prepared  and 
covered  a  wide  field.  For  the  sake  of  those  who  may  in  the 
future  read  this  portion  of  Hiram's  history  the  program  for 
the  jubilee  week  will  have  a  decided  inter- 
est. The  week  was  opened  by  the  Com- 
mencement of  the  Preparatory  Department  on  June  i6,  1900. 
On  Sunday,  June  17,  1900,  and  on  the  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-fifth anniversary  of  the  famous  battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
President  Zollars  delivered  the  Baccalaureate  Sermon,  tak- 
ing for  his  subject  "Saving  others  the  true  work  of  life." 
Mark  15 :  31.  "Likewise  also  the  chief  priests  mocking  said 
among  themselves  with  the  scribes,  He  saved  others ;  Him- 
self He  cannot  save." 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  Christian  Associa- 
tions of  the  College  held  their  anniversary  exercises.  On 
Monday,  June  18,  the  various  Literary  Societies  held  their 
annual  open  sessions  and  presented  thoroughly  prepared  pro- 
grams. The  rest  of  the  week  was  divided  according  to  the 
following  arrangement : 


34^ 


HISTORY    OF    HIRAM    COLLEGE. 


1Iln&er*6ra&uate  H)a^ 

Tuesday,  June  19th 
Chairman— E.  V.  ZOLLARS 

FORENOON,    NINE    O'CLOCK 

Music  -  -  -  .         .         .         .       Cornet  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation  ....  w.  W.  Sniff,  Cleveland,  O. 

Address     -         -  -  -         -  H.  B.  Hazzard,  Dcerfield,  O. 

Address        -         -         -         Miss  Florence  Hathaway,  Cleveland,  O. 

Music        ...- 

Benediction         ...  R.  A.  Nichols,  JVorcesier,  Mass. 

AFTERNOON,    TWO   O'CLOCK 

Music  -  -  -  -         .         -        .       Cornet  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation     ...  -  John  E.  Pounds,  Cleveland,  O. 

Address      .....    Clyde  W.  V/ells,  Grindstone,  Pa. 

Address Miss  Adda  Jobes,  Brie,  Pa. 

Address E.  B.  Kemm,  Hiram,  O. 

Music Vocal 

Address A.  B.  Philputt,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Benediction         -         -        -         -  J.  W.  Kerns,  Steiibenville,  O. 

EVENING,  7  :30  o'clock 

Music Cornet  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation G.  L.  Wharton,  Hiram,  O. 

Music 

Address       ....      President  C.  L.  Loos,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Music       -- 

Benediction S.  H.  Bartlett,  Cleveland,  O. 

Blumni  Ba^ 

Wednesday,  June  20th 
Chairman  -PROF.  W.  H.  C.  NEWINGTON,  Niles,  O. 

FORENOON,    NINE    O'cLOCK 

Music -    Cornet  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation M.  L.  Bates,  Neivark,  O. 

Address  -         -         -  Judge  Henry  C.  White,  Cleveland ,  O. 

Music Vocal 

Address        -        -         -        -     F.  W.  Norton,  Niagara  Falls,  N.  T, 
PoHM  ....        -  Miss  Adelaide  Frost,  Hira7fi,  O^ 

Address -     F.  A.  Henry,  Cleveland,  O^ 

Benediction J.  H.  Goldner,  Cleveland,  0\ 

AFTERNOON,    TWO    o'CLOCK 

Chairman— H.   R.  COOLEY,    Cleveland,   O. 

Music         - Coi-net  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation I.  J.  Cahill,  Dayton,  O. 

Address         ...         -  W.  M.  Forest,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

Music Vocal 

Address        .....     Miss  Cora  Allen,  Cincinnati,  O. 

Address J.  K.  Baxter,  3ff.  Vernon,  O. 

Benediction  -         -         -         -  F.  A.  Bright,  Painesville,  O. 

EVENING,  7:80  o'clock 

Entertaiiiment  of  Hesperian  Literary  Society 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.  V.    ZOLLARS,    1888-I9OO.  347 

Jubilee  H)ay 

Thursday,  June  21st 
Chairma:si— E.  V.  ZOLLARS 


FORENOON,    NINE    O  CLOCK 

Music Cornet  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation  ....         Lathrop  Cooley,  Cleveland^  O. 

Address J.  A.  Lord,  Ci7icinnati,  O. 

Music -- 

Address         .         .         -         .       Hon.  T.  W.  Phillips,  Neivcastlc,  Pa. 

Address Gov.  F.  M.  Drake,  Des  Moines,  la. 

Music Vocal 

Benediction J-  M.  Van  Horn,  JVart-efi,  O. 

afternoon,  two  o'clock 

Music -         -   Cornet  Band.     Vocal 

Invocation F.  M.  Green,  Kent,  O. 

Jubilee  Endowment     ...        -      Announcement  of  Results 
Address       .         -         .         .         .  J.  H.  Garrison,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Music -        Vocal 

Addresses  of  Class  Professors 

Presentation  of  Diplomas 

Music 

JusiLHE  Poem         -         -      Mrs.  Jessie  BroVv'ii  Pounds,  Cleveland,  O. 

Closing  Prayer      -         -        -        -        -   R.  Moffett,  Cleveland,  O. 

EVENING,  7:30  o'clock 

Entertainment  of  Alethean  Literary  Society 

Eclectic  Dai? 

Friday,  June  22nd 
Chairman— B.  A.   HINSDALE,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 


Music Vocal 

Invocation B.  S.  Dean,  Hiram,  O. 

Historical  Address"       -         -    B.  A.  Hinsdale,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 
Music 

Address R.  H.  Gano,  Dallas,  Tex. 

Five  Minute  Speeches: 

J.  II.  Jones,  Mt.  Union,  0.\  R.  Mofiett,  Cleveland,  O.; 
F.  Treudley,  Tounsrstowtt,  0.\  Wallace  J.  Ford,  Hiram,  O.; 
Lathrop  Cooley,  Cleveland,  0.\  W.  A.  Belding,  Trov, 
N.  r.;  S,  L.  Hillier,  New  York  City;  J.  S.  Ross,  Oneida 
Mills,  0.\  Amzi  Atwater,  Blooininffton,  Tnd.\  W.  L. 
I-Iayden,  Edenshurg,  Pa.\  H.  S.  Chamberlain,  Chatta- 
nooga, Tcnn.;  E.  A.  P'ord,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 
Others  of  the  early  students  and  pioneers  will  be  present, 
and  will  make  short  speeches. 

Closing  Prayer        -         -         -      Prof.  E.  B.  Wakefield,  Hiram,  O. 


348  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

Nearly  all  whose  names  appear  on  the  program  were 
present  and  filled  the  place  assigned  to  them.  Some  were 
absent  in  person  but  present  in  their  letters  of  regret.  Of 
eminent  men  who  made  addresses  it  will  not  be  uninteresting 
to  specially  name  a  few. 

Charles  Louis  Loos  of  Kentucky  University,  Lexington, 
a  French-German  by  birth  and  a  Yankee  by  adoption,  in  his 
77th  year,  with  characteristic  force  of  lan- 
guage and  gesture  declared  his  convic- 
tions of  the  value  of  the  Bible  as  the  supreme  authority  in  all 
education  from  lowest  to  highest.  His  sturdy  words  of  in- 
telligent conviction  were  heartily  endorsed  by  all  who  heard 
him. 

Judge  Henry  C.  White,  of  Cleveland.  O., 

IT         .-  TTTU-.        the  "plumed  knight"  of  the  old  and  the 
Henry  C.  White.  ^  ° 

new  Hiram  fellowship,  represented  most 

worthily  the  Alumni  of  the  Institution. 

J.  A,  Lord,  the  accomplished  editor  of  the  Christian 

Standard,   Cincinnati,    Ohio,    commended   the    College    for 

making  the  Bible  the  crown  of  its  curric- 

■'■     ■     '^^  '  ula  of  study.     His  address  was  delivered 

with  power  and  earnestness  and  was  heartily  enjoyed  by  the 

great  audience  present. 

A.  B.  Philputt  of  Indianapolis.  Ind.,  in  his  address  to 

the  under-graduates  spoke   to  their  hearts  as   only    he  can 

speak  who  has  traveled  the  same  road  and 

A.  B.  Philputt.        ,     J  ^i 

^  had  the  sam.e  experiences. 

J.  H.  Garrison,  the  veteran  editor  of  the  Christian  Evan- 
gelist, felicitously  and  strongly  presented  the  subject  of 
"Christian  Education,  Its  Nature  and  Value."  In  the  en- 
largement of  his  thought  he  declared:  "It 
J.  H.  Garrison.  .^  ^^^,  extravagant  to  say  that  education  is 
the  supreme  need  of  the  v/orld,  and  that  to  impart  this  educa- 
tion is  the  supreme  work  of  life.     This  broad  use  of  the 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.   V.   ZOLLARS,    1888-19OO.  349 

term  education,  however,  includes  in  it  Jesus  Christ 
as  the  world's  great  Teacher,  and  His  divine  com- 
mand, 'Go  teach'  is  the  charter  for  the  highest  edu- 
cation, for  the  truest  culture.  Any  idea  of  education  that 
leaves  out  Christ  is  vitally  defective.  It  leaves  undeveloped 
the  highest  ranges  of  human  nature.  Christian  education  is 
only  another  name  for  true  education,  or  for  a  full  and  com- 
plete education.  This  is  the  one  reason  that  justifies  the  es- 
tablishment and  maintenance  of  institutions  of  learning  that 
are  distinctively  Christian  in  their  aim,  methods  and  results." 
Thomas  W.  Phillips  of  New  Castle,  Pa., 

briefly  and  fervently  emphasized  the  cred- 
T.  W.  Phillipi.       itable  work  the  Institution  had  done  in  the 

past,  and  the  obligations   that   were   laid 

upon  it  for  future  good  and  influence. 
The  closing  day  was  given  to  the  pioneers,  i.  e.,  those 
who  had  to  deal  with  the  Institution  in  the  days  of  the  "Old 
Eclectic."    On  this  day  Prof.  B.  A.  Hinsdale  presided  and 

made  the  principal  address.     It  was  of  a 

B.  A.  Hinsdale.        ,  .  .      ,      ,  ,   ,      ,    .      .  , 

historical  character  and  had  m  it  an  ele- 
ment of  pathos  uncommon  in  Mr.  Hinsdale's  addresses.  It 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  last  of  his  public  addresses,  and  the 
last  for  Hiram.  A  few  months  later  his  heart  ceased  to  send 
the  life-current  to  his  busy  brain,  his  voice  was  silent,  and  his 
earthly  pilgrimage  completed.  As  the  substance  of  this  ad- 
dress is  found  in  other  parts  of  this  volume,  and  sometimes 
in  the  exact  language  used,  it  is  not  necessary  to  insert  it 
here. 

The  Jubilee  Poem,  "The  Old  to  the  New,"  by  Mrs.  Jes- 
sie Brown  Pounds  of  Cleveland,  O.,  was  by  one  of  Hiram's 
true  daughters  by  birth  and  education.    In 
Jessie  Brown        exquisite  phrase  she  sung  the  story  of  Hi- 
ram's fifty  years.    In  verse  that  carried  its 
thought  felicitously  Mrs.  Pounds  said : 


350  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM   COLLEGE. 

"The  trumpets  sound  at  last  the  Fiftieth  Year; 

From  far  away  to  near, 

From  near  to  far  away. 

The  welcome  notes  are  swelled, 

And  joyously  they  say 
To  those  in  Toil's  insistent  bondage  held, — 

The  captives  of  the  mart. 

The  cup-bearers  of  Art, 
The  bowed  field-laborers  from  the  world  of  thought 
Who  in  the  mid-day's  burning  sun  have  wrought, — 

"Come  hither !  ye  are  free 

To  keep  the  Jubilee  !" 


We  come  to  claim  our  own ; 

The  lands  the  miser  Time  has  wrenched  away 

Are  ours  again  today; 

Our  castles,  overgrown 
With  moss  and  ivy  through  neglectful  years, 
And  dimly  seen  through  mists  of  envious  tears, 
In  spite  of  Life's  pursuing  "might-have-been," 

We  stand  again  within ; 
For  in  the  dreamed-of  Year  of  Jubilee 

All  forfeit  lands  are  free. 


We  come  in  joyous  answer  to  the  call ; 

We  come,  but  ah !  not  all. 
Some  whom  we  miss,  and  seek  with  wistful  eyes. 

Walk  not  in  mortal  guise. 
The  night  shall  come  to  all,  we  say.    Alas ! 
The  shadows  fall  at  noon ;  the  strongest  pa?? 
Before  the  night  has  come.    We  prate  of  "Why?" 

When  shadows  linger  nigh, 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  K.   V.    ZOLLARS,    18S8-19CX3.  351 

And  stretch  our  short  philosophy  to  reach 

Beyond  the  blue.    In  vain. 

In  vain  our  tricks  of  speech  ; 

We  can  not  make  it  plain. 
Only  our  hearts  this  world-old  lesson  teach : 

That  these  in  youth  abide 

Forever  at  our  side, 

Forever  strong  and  free, 

And  fresh  for  victory ! 

******  5l: 

When  the  half  century  again  shall  call, 
How  many  will  respond  among  us  all? 

But  here  and  yonder  one 

Remaining  there  will  be 
Who  faces  now  the  East,  and  fronts  the  sun, — 
Whose  present  wealth  is  hope,  not  memory. 
The  rest?      It  shall  not  matter.    God  is  God. 

A  tiny  ridge  of  sod 
Is  all  He  needs.    The  world  He  made  goes  on; 

We  crowd  it,  and  are  gone. 
Though  human  love  and  memory  grow  dim, 

He  cares,  and  He  is  just ; 
A  handful  more  or  less  of  scattered  dust, 
Though  naught  to  man.  is  still  enough  for  Him. 

The  hour  grows  chill  and  late; 

Our  Argosies  of  gold 

Return  not,  though  we  wait, 

And  waiting,  we  grow  old. 
But  they  are  safe.    Beyond  some  harbor  bar, 

In  some  glad  land  afar 

Our  treasures  all  are  stored ; 

Not  ours  to  have  and  hoard 

Is  all  the  truth  we  sought, 


352  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

The  high  achievements  that  we  would  have  wrought; 
But  safe  beyond  all  selfish  power  and  pride, 

Beyond  all  stress  of  tide, 

On  some  fair,  friendly  shore, 
Our  ships  of  Hope  are  anchored  evermore; 
And  soon  or  late,  we  know  not  how  or  when, 

Each  claims  his  own  again  !" 

The  exercises  of  jubilee  week,  while  of  a  joyful  and  en- 
couraging character,  were  tempered  with  seriousness  by  the 
sudden  death  of  Prof.  A.  C.  Pierson,  who  for  twenty-five 

years  had  been  connected  with  the  College. 
Conclusion.  a-       i  r  -^    i  •  ^ 

A  early  every  year  of  its  history  was  repre- 
sented among  the  multitude  of  guests  who  came  from  every 
direction  and  from  distant  places  to  the  jubilee.  J.  G.  Cole- 
man, who  was  President,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting  in 
Aurora  November  7,  1849,  when  the  decision  was  reached  to 
locate  the  school  at  Hiram  was  present  and  like  Jacob,  "lean- 
ing on  the  top  of  his  staff;"  Mrs.  A.  S.  Hayden, 
the  faithful  wife,  the  blessed  mother,  w^ho  with 
her  distinguished  husband  formed  the  center  of  the 
charmed  circle  of  the  early  fellowship  of  Hiram. 
Her  presence  was  as  a  benediction  of  the  past  upon 
the  hopeful  future.  J.  H.  Jones,  a  member  of  the  first  Board 
of  Trustees,  erect  as  a  mountain  pine  but  with  shattered  voice 
and  failing  memory,  barely  a  gleam  from  the  full-orbed  sun 
of  his  glorious  life ;  Hartwell  Ryder,  one  of  the  delegates  to 
the  Aurora  meeting,  for  many  years  a  Trustee,  and  always  a 
friend;  son  of  Symonds  Ryder,  the  sturdy  oak,  out  of  which 
the  Eclectic  Institute  made  its  Treasurer  from  1849  to  i860; 
W.  J.  Ford,  who  laid  the  foundation  for  the  permanent  en- 
dowment of  the  College,  and  who  was  elected  to  its  Board  of 
Trustees  in  1856;  Charles  Brown  Lockwood,  a  member  in 
continuous  service  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  from  1866  to 
1900;  Henry  Clay  White,  who  represented  the  first  year  of 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  E.   V.   ZOLLARS,    18S8-I9OO.  353 

its  student  body;  Mrs.  F.  M.  Green  who  as  Ellen  E.  Stow 
was  a  student  of  the  second  year;  Mrs.  Robert  Moffett,  who 
as  Lucy  A.  Green  was  a  student  of  the  third  year ;  and  War- 
ren L.  Hayden,  Francis  M.  Green,  Alanson  Wilcox,  Mary  A. 

D.  Williams,  Mrs.  Emma  Johnson  Dean,  Charles  E.  Henry, 
Sophia  Williams  Henry,  Jasper  G.  Ross,  Howard  A.  Treud- 
ley,  Andrew  Squire,  F.  A.  Derthick,  E.  B.  Wakefield,  Grove 

E.  Barber,  Charles  Fillius,  J.  M.  Van  Horn,  William  H.  C. 
Newington,  William  G.  Dietz,  Frederick  A.  Henry,  Harlan 
M.  Page,  Fred  A.  Bright,  Warren  S.  Hayden,  Samuel  H. 
Bartlett,  A.  G.  Webb,  Adelaide  G.  Frost,  R.  A.  Nichols,  B. 
C.  Caywood,  R.  P.  Shepherd,  William  G.  Frost, 
Leon  C.  Vincent,  Walter  S.  Plertzog,  W.  J.  Crum, 
Guy  Hoover,  Frank  C.  Rulon,  Fred  Kline,  Justin  N. 
Green,  D.  R.  Moss,  and  Charles  E.  Benlehr — these  represent- 
ed nearly  every  successive  year  from  the  time  the  decision 
was  made  to  locate  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  at 
Hiram  in  1849  *^o  the  crowning  of  Hiram  College  in  1900. 
Hiram  College  is  the  growth  from  a  living  seed  planted  fifty 
years  ago,  wisely  and  with  prayer.  It  does  not  owe  its  ori- 
gin to  any  one  man  whose  name  can  be  spoken  with  positive- 
ness.  Its  progress  has  been  due  not  to  one  but  to  many.  Men 
planted  it  ;  men  watered  it ;  men  cherished  and  nourished  it ; 
and  men  threw  the  safeguards  of  common  sense,  the  common 
and  statute  law  around  it.  But  all  the  v/hile  it  has  grown 
because  of  the  living  and  energizing  idea  which  informed  it. 
For  the  same  reason  it  has  yielded  its  seed  after  its  kind  and 
become  the  cherishing  mother  to  many  thousands  of  sons 
and  daughters.  Hiram  College  is  a  monument  to  the  devo- 
tion of  an  intelligent  and  God-loving,  conscientious  people  in- 
terested in  the  welfare,  present  and  future,  of  humanity.  Its 
birth  was  with  pain  and  sacrifice.  It  has  been  nursed  by  the 
tears,  the  prayers,  and  the  anxious  watchings  of  many :  and 
its  semi-centennial  has  been  crowned  with  the  praise  of  its 


354  HISTORY  OF  HIRAM  COLLEGE. 

sons  and  daughters  and  with  the  love  and  blessings  of  God. 
This  chapter  cannot  better  close  than  with  the  song  in  almost 
faultless  rhyme  and  rhythm,  by  Hiram's  laureate,  Mrs.  Jessie 
Brown  Pounds : 

"Secluded  village  of  the  hills, 

I  own  thy  witching  spell ; 
The  charm  that  all  thy  lovers  thrills 

Is  over  me  as  well. 

The  Mystic  Fount  of  Youth  is  thine; 

There  is  no  'now'  or  'then,' 
But  underneath  thy  spell  divine 

We  all  are  young  again. 

Slight,  shadowy  forms  from  far  lands  come 

At  Love's  insistent  call. 
And  voices  cry,  'Oh,  sweet,  sweet  home, 

We  love  thee  best  of  all !' 

Dear  hands  long  still  again  1  claim, 

From  out  the  Used-to-Be ; 
Each  breeze  that  passes  speaks  a  name 

And  stirs  a  memory. 

O,  Hiram,  thou  are  surely  blest ! 

The  world  thy  story  hears ; 
Sweet  thoughts  of  thee  like  flowers  are  pressed 

Within  the  Book  of  Years." 


APPENDIX. 


HIRAM  COLLEGE  ALUMNL 

J869 

Andrew  A.   Amidon Deceased 

James    E.    Hurlburt,    Attorney Cleveland 

Mrs.  Elma  Dunn  Truesdall Garrettsville,  O. 

*L.   L.    Campbell,   Teacher Youngstown,   O. 

*Henry  Clay  White,   Probate  Judge Cleveland,  O. 

*Hiram  S.  Chamberlain.  Business Chattanooga,  Tenn. 

*William  H.  Clapp,  U.  S.  Soldier Pine  Ridge,  S.  D. 

*Frank  H.  Mason,  U.  S.  Consul Berlin,  Germany 

J870 

Alexander  C.   Parker Deceased 

Edmund     B.     Wakefield.    Professor    of    Law    and    Economics, 

Hiram  College   Hiram,  O. 

*Frank  M.  Green,   Preacher Kent,  O. 

*Clayton  C.  Smith,  Preacher Cincinnati,  O. 

*I.  A.  Thayer,  Preacher Newr  Castle,   Pa. 

*William   H.   Rogers,   Preacher Milton,   Mass. 

*Charles  E.  Henry,  Business Geauga  Lake,  O. 

I87I 

Grove  E.   Barber,   Professor  of  Latin  in   State  University. . . . 

Lincoln.  Neb. 

George     H.     Colton,     Professor     of     Natural     Science     Hiram 

College    Hiram,  O. 

Edgar  A.  Pardee,  Minister Williamsville,  N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Inez  Slocum  Black Boston,  M.iss. 

Mrs.  Julia  Smith  Leavitt Eden  Valley,  Minn. 

Taylor.  A.  Snow,  Real  Estate  Agent Austin,  111. 

Mrs.   Orissa   Udall    Arner .Jefferson 

Sutton  E.  Young,  Mining  Business Rapid  City,  S.  D. 

*Alanson  Wilcox,  Preacher Cleveland,  O. 

*Jessie   Brown   Pounds,   Literary Cleveland,   O. 

*P.  H.  Dudley,  Business New  York  City. 

J  872 

William   P.   Cope,   Superintendent  of  Schools Hamilton 

Morgan  P.  Hayden,  Minister Portage  la  Prairie,  Manitoba,  Can. 

Charles  W.  Hemry,  Minister Fairfield,  Neb. 

Orlo  C.  Hubbell,  Superintendent  of  Schools Fairfield,  Neb. 

Mrs.  Seleucia  Newcomb  Hayden 

Portage  la  Prairie,  Manitoba,  Can. 

Joseph   W.    Robbins Deceased 


358  APPENDIX 

Mrs.  Alice  Squire  Hemry Fairfield,   Neb. 

Andrew  Squire,  Attorney Cleveland 

*Frank  A.   Derthick,   Farmer Mantua,   O. 

*Lucy  B.  Dudley New  York  City. 

*James  M.  Van  Horn,  Preacher Warren,  O. 

*Names  marked  with  a  (*)  were  student.s  of  the  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute on  whom  the  Board  of  Trustees  conferred  Degrees  and  assigned 
them  to  the  classes  where  their  names  appear. 

J  873 

William  A.   Babcock,  Attorney Cleveland 

Frank   A.    Beecher,   Attorney Cleveland 

James  H.  Griffith Deceased 

William  I.  Hudson,  Attorney Chicago,  III. 

Enoch  Leavitt,  Minister Edon  Valley,  Minn. 

Worthy  T.  Newcomb,  Business Dewesse,  Neb. 

Andrew    R.    Odell,    Attorney Cleveland 

Alpheus  W.  Russell,   Editor Mantua  Station 

Frank  L.   Summey,   Merchant Washington,   D.   C. 

Alvin  C.  White,  Attorney Jefferson 

1874 

William  R.  Harris  Deceased 

George  A.  Robertson,  Editor Cleveland 

Mrs.  Rose  Tilden  Cope Hamilton 

1875 

Florence  Bidlake,  Teacher Mantua 

Charles  Fillius,  Attorney Warren 

Byron  E.  Helman,  Book  Seller Cleveland 

Wilbert  B.  Hinsdale,  Dean  of  the  Homeopathic  Faculty,  Mich- 
igan University   Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

John  F.   Rodefer,  Manufacturer Elwood,  Ind. 

Charles    H.    Ryder Deceased 

Burnett  T.  Stafford,  Minister Cleveland,  N.  Y. 

1877 

Harris  R.  Cooley,  Minister Cleveland 

Charles   L.    Hall Deceased 

Lee  Helsley,  Attorney  Omaha,  Neb. 

Fayette  J.  Morton,  Physician Cleveland 

Galen  Wood,  Minister Cripple  Creek,  Colo. 

Orlando  M.  Woodward Deceased 

J879 

Edwin  S.  Bower Lincoln,   Neb. 

Clifton  D.   Hubbell,  Professor  of  English  in   Cleveland   Public 
Schools    Bedford 


APPENDIX. 


359 


William  H.  C.  Newington,  Principal  of  High  School Niles 

Arthur    C.    Pierson Deceased 

Adelaide   Rudolph,   Teacher   in   Lake   Erie   College Painesville 

Mrs.  Clara  Stanhope  Hall Lincoln,  Neb. 

1880 

Lyman    W.    Gilbert Deceased 

Ix)uis   H.   Hoffman,    Business Cleveland 

Edward  J.  Robison,  Banker Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Colwell    P.    Wilson,    Banker Youngstown 

I88J 

Mrs.  Lizzie  Clapp  Robblns Cleveland 

William    G.    Dietz,    Banker Cleveland 

William  F.  Fairbanks,  Teacher Montville,  O. 

Vanton    O.    Foulk,    Business Cleveland 

Marion  J.  Grabel,  Pastor  of  Dunham  Avenue  Christian  Church. 

Cleveland 

Carroll  H.  Parmelee Buffalo,  Wyoming 

Mrs.   Minnie  Robison   Robinette Macedonia 

Henry  M.  Stone,  Merchant  Broker Denver,  Colo. 

IG82 

Charles  N.  Works,  Business North  Bloomlield 

Edna  L  Allyn,  Teacher Ottumvva,  la. 

Mrs.    Lizzie    Gans    Kriechbaum Canton 

Mrs.  Jessie  Pettibone  Dietz Cleveland 

Mrs.  Helen  Pettibone  Robison Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Mrs.  Anna  Robison  Atwater Macedonia 

George  C.  Russell,  Teacher Santa  Maria,  Cal. 

{883 

Charles  Taylor,  Attorney Cleveland 

Mrs.    Minnie  Allen   Stone Deceased 

Franklin   P.  Allyn,  Teacher .Forrest 

Howard  H.  Baker,  Minister San  Bernardino,  Cal. 

Floyd  N.  Barber,  Attorney Washington,  D.  C. 

George  A  .McFarland,  Principal  of  State  Normal  School 

Valley  City,  N.  D. 

Mrs.  Lucy  Noble  Harmon Akron 

Lyman  A.  Reed,  Business Cleveland 

Willard  W.    Slabaugh,  Judge Omaha,    Neb. 

James  G.   Warren,   Banker Los   Angeles,   Cal. 

Clark  I\I.  Young,  Professor  in  State  University Vermillion,  S.  D. 

J  884 

William  B.  Clark,  Farmer Bedford 

Warren  Craig,  Insurance  Agent Buffalo,   N.   Y. 


360  APPENDIX. 

Haitie  E.  Robison,  Teacher Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Mrs.   Ida  Sherman   Merriman Burton 

Waher  C.  Spaulding.   Banker Cleveland 

Duane    H.    Tilden,    Attorney Cleveland 

Almon  P.  Turner,  Manager  of  the  Canadian  Copper  Co., 

Sudbury,  Ontario.   Canada 

Mrs.  Lilian  Works  Robertson Camp   Point,  111. 

Mrs.  Cora  Amphlett  Downs Wellesley  Hills.   Mass. 

Mrs.  Mabel  Bo  we  Ackerman Cleveland 

Mrs.  Laura  Gerould  Craig,  Author New  York,  N.  Y. 

Robert    Hoftman,    Civil    Engineer Cleveland 

Ida  A.  Preston,  Teacher Larnard,  Kan. 

1886 

Mrs.   Catherine  Beattie  Hall Deceased 

Edwin   L.   Hall,   Professor  of  Latin   in   Hiram   College Hiram 

Nimrod  D.   Laughlin,   Business Alma,   111. 

Clarence  E.  Wier,  Attorney Indianapolis,  Ind. 

I8S7 

Mrs.   Cora  Clark   Cooley Cleveland 

John  W.  Darnel,  Teacher Jefferson  City,   Mo. 

Mrs.    Nettie   Hopkins   McCorkle,   Teacher Cleveland 

Mrs.   Flora  James  Collyer Beloit,  Wis. 

Mrs.  Laura  Laughlin  McGinnis New   Kirk,  Okla. 

Frank  W.   Norton,  Minister Irvington,   Ind. 

I88S 

Charles  J.   Atwater Deceased 

Frederick   A.    Henry,    Attorney Cleveland 

J  889 

Isaac  J.  Cahill,  T^Iinister Dayton 

William  A.   Knight,   Minister Fall   River.   Mass. 

William   H.   Mooney Deceased 

Arthur   B.   Russell Deceased 

John   Shackson,  Editor Glenville 

M.  Ellen  Stevens,  Teacher Akron.  O. 

1890 

Mrs.  Louise  Adams  Henry Cleveland 

Tohn  K.  Baxter,  Superintendent  of  Schools Mt.  Vernon 

Nellie    A.    Craft Deceased 

William  J.  Dodge,  Principal  of  High  School Raven.ia 

Edgar  R.  Fuller,  Minister Bakersville,  Cal. 

Adda  M.   Hathaway Bedford 

Harlan  M.   Page,   Physician,   Professor  of  Medical   Science  Hi- 
ram College  Hiram 


AHKAM  TKAdlOUT. 


APPENDIX.  361 

Lucius    W.    Prichard.    Physician Ravenna 

Mrs.  Angie  Proctor  Ragan .  Batavia,  111. 

Emma  O.   Ryder,   Librarian  of  Hiram   College Hiram 

Benjamin  J.  Sawyer,  Attorney Cleveland 

John  B.   Works,  Banker Cincinnati 

189 1 

Mary   E.   Clark.    Modiste Cleveland 

Marcia  Henry,  Professor  in  Hiram  College,  Lady  Principal.  .Hiram 

Robert  M.  Marshall,  Minister Belle  Vernon,  Pa. 

Archie  A.   McCorkle Deceased. 

Homer  D.  Messick,  Attorney Cleveland 

Myrta  G.  Parsons,  Teacher Athens,  Ga. 

Mrs.   Carrie   Patch   Norton Cleveland 

George    A.    Ragan,    Minister Batavia,    111. 

Calvin   C.   Ryder,   Business Cleveland 

George   H.    Rymers,   Banker Fremont 

Edwin  O.  Trescott,   Superintendent  of  Schools Columbiana 

Julius  V.  Wilson,   , , .  Deceased 

.1892 

Edgar  W.  Allen,  Minister Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 

Cora  A.   Allen,   Teacher Lockland 

Fred   A.    Bright,    Minister T Painesville 

Warren  D.  Calvin,  Physician Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 

Mrs.  Josephine  Clark  Works Cincinnati 

J.  Ernest  Dean,  Illustrator Cleveland 

Jacob  D.  Forrest,  Professor  in  Butler  College Irvington,  Ind. 

Charles  A.   Freer,  Minister Columbus 

Albert  H.  Hurd,  Minister Lone  Pine,  Pa. 

Warren    S.    Hayden,    Banker Cleveland 

J.  Herman  Norton,  Printer  and  Publisher Cleveland 

Perry  J.  Rice,  Minister South   Bend,  Ind. 

Loa  E.  Scott,  Physician Kirksville,  Mo. 

Hiram  Van  Kirk,  Professor  of  Bible  Chair  of  California  Uni- 
versity   Berkeley,  Cal. 

George  W.  York,  Banker Cleveland 

1893 

Samuel    H.    Bartlett,    Corresponding   Secretary   of    Ohio    State 

Missionary    Society    Cleveland 

William   A.    Brundige,   Minister Lima 

Mrs.   Albertina  Allen  Forrest Irvington,   Ind. 

Mrs.  Jessie  Hall    Wood.. Painesville 

Mrs.  Mary  Henry  Webb Mineral  Ridge 

Mary  A.  Lyons,  Ohio  State  Secretary  for  C.  W.  B.  M Hiram 

Roger  H.  Miller,  Business New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

Clayton  P.  Rockwood,  Attorney Cleveland 


362  APPENDIX. 

Claude  E.   Sheldon,  Attorney Windham 

Mrs.  Blanche  Squire  Hayden Cleveland 

Lewis  J.   Wood,   Attorney Painesville 

Abner  G.  Webb,  Banker Mineral   Ridge 

John  H.  York,  Business Cleveland 

1894 

Clarence  R.  Bissell.  Attorney Cleveland 

David  D.    Burt.   Minister Marion,   O. 

Delia   P.    Craft,   Teacher Warren 

Forrest  D.  Ferrall,  Minister Pleasantville,  la. 

Adelaide  G.    Frost.   Missionary  to   India Hiram 

Mamie    Gould,    Teacher Cleveland 

Bert   E.   Hathaway,   Attorney Cleveland 

Raymond  E.  Hull,  Business Petosky,  Mich. 

Austin    Hunter,    Student   in    Chicago    University Chicago,    111. 

Herbert    L.    Jones,    Teacher Hubbard 

Alfred  M.  Kenyon,  Instructor  in  Mathematics  in  Purdue  Uni- 
versity    La   Fayette,   Ind. 

Alfred  Vernon  Kontner Nelsonville 

Henry  F.  Lutz,  City  Missionary  of  Pittsburg Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Mattie    M.    Marsh,    Teacher Bryan 

Roland  A.  Nichols,  Minister Chicago,  III. 

E.   B.   Watson,   Minister Ballinger,    Texas 

Allyn  A.   Young,   Fellow  in  Wisconsin  University.  .Madison,   Wis. 
William  M.  Forrest,  Missionary Calcutta,  India 

1895 

Howard  L.  Atkinson,  Minister Chicago,  111. 

Miner    L.    Bates,    Minister Newark 

Martin   L.  Buckley,  Minister Rushsylvania 

Ben  C.  Cay  wood.  Minister Akron 

Mabel  G.  Crosse,  Teacher  of  Music Hazel  Green,  Ky. 

Edwin   C.    Davis,    Minister Bedford,    O. 

Lincoln  Davis.  Insurance  Agent Cleveland 

Allie  M.  Dean,  Teacher  in  Art  Department  of  Hiram  Colloge. . 

Hiram 

George  B.  Dilley,  Attorney Cleveland 

Frances  Hertzog  Osgood,  Alissionary Chu  Cheo,  China 

Harry  H.   Hudson,   Attorney Cleveland 

Harry  W.  Jewell,  Attorney Delaware 

Jay  E.  Lynn,  Minister Springfield,  111. 

P.  W.   McReynolds.   :\Iinister Marshall,   Mich. 

Charles  A.   Niman,  Attorney Cleveland,   O. 

Dallas  J.    Osborne,   Banker Tiffin 

Elliott  I.  Osgood,   Medical  Missionary Chu  Cheo,   China 

Maria   Parker   Bellamy Cleveland 

Frank  M.  Rvder,  Business New  York 

Robert  P.  Shenherd,  Student  in  Columbia  University New  York 


APPENDIX.  363 

Frank  H.   Simpson,   Minister Massillon 

Emerson  J.  Smith,  County  Auditor Ravenna 

H.    Maude    Thompson,    Teacher Malvern 

Charles  V.  Trott,  Teacher Martinsburg 

Edwim  T.  Wakefield,  Physician Youngstown,  O. 

Royal  M.  Wheeler,  Business Mantua  Sta. 

1896 

J.   P.  Allison.  Minister Uhrichsville 

William  T.  Barnes,  Minister Wellsvillc 

Claude   C.   Blair,   Business Girard 

George   A.   Bellamy,  Warden  of  the  Hiram  House Cleveland 

Floyd  H.  Bogrand,  Teacher Sharon,  Pa. 

Elizabeth  Carlton,  Kindergartner Chicago,  111. 

Bertha  A.   Clark,   Teacher  in   Cleveland   Schools Bedford 

Laura  A.  Craft.  Teacher Warren 

Ira  H.  Durfee,  Minister New  Castle,  Pa. 

Eugene  B.  Dyson,  Physician Rootstown 

James  H.  Erskine,  Physician Albany,   Or. 

William  W.  Frost,  Student  in  Chicago  University Chicago,  111. 

J.  H.  Goldner,  Pastor  of  Euclid  Avenue  Christian  Church.... 

Cleveland,  O. 

Airs.  Bessie  Grabel  Frost Chicago,  111. 

John    W.    Kerns,    Minister Steubenville,    O. 

Raphael  H.  Miller,  Minister Wellsville,  N.  Y. 

Lulu  P.  Phinney Mulberry  Corners 

Edith    P.   Robinson Deceased 

Mrs.  Clara  Russell  Anders Youngstown 

Elmer  E.   Snoddy,  Professor  of  Greek  in  Hiram  College.  ..  .Hiram 

Frederick  G.   Strickland,   Minister Chicago 

Carrie  S.  Tibbits,  In  Public  Library Cleveland 

Amos  Tovell,   Minister Guelph,  Ontario,   Can. 

William  D.  Van  Voorhis,  Minister Akron,  O. 

Leon    C.    Vincent,    Dentist Ravenna 

W.  R.  Walker,   Minister Martinsburg 

Daniel  G.  Wagner,  Minister Lordstown 

J  897 

George  W.  Brown,  Missionary Hurda,  India 

Margaret  J.  Calvin,  Teacher Transfer,  Pa. 

Samuel   G.   Carson,   Attorney Warren 

Mamie   B.   Colton  Vincent Ravenna 

Lovina    R.    Cook Weston 

Van    C.    Cook,    Attorney Mansfield 

W.    S.    Cook,    Minister Fayette,    O. 

Henry    J.    Derthick.    Minister Berea.    Ky. 

Emmitt    C.    Dix,    Editor Wooster 

Jay  A.  Egbert,  Minister Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Grace  Finch  Ken  yon La  Fayette,  Ind. 


364  APPENDIX. 

Mrs.  Lulu  Gault  Lynn Springfield,  111. 

William   Harris,   Minister Paulding 

Walter  S.  Hertzog,  Principal  of  High  School Beaver  Falls,  Pa. 

John  A.  Longmore,  Physician New  York,  N.  Y. 

John    P.   Myers,    Minister Muncie,    Ind. 

Charles  R.  Scoville.  Evangelist South  Bend,  Ind. 

Albert  F.  Stahl,  Minister West  I^Iansfield 

C.    B.    Titus,    Missionary Lu    Chu    Fu,    China 

Lloyd  D.  Trowbridge,  Physician   Piqua,  O. 

Frank  A.  Turner,  Teacher Everett,  Wash. 

W.    G.    Voliva.    Minister Cincinnati,    O. 

Pearl  H.  Welshimer,  Minister iMillersburg 

A.  E.  Wrentnaore,  Minister Decatur,  Mich. 

1S98 

Howard  A.  Blake.   Minister Washington.  N.  C. 

William  H.  Boden,  Minister Battle  Creek,  Mich. 

Mrs.   Mary   Canfield    Ewers Fayette 

William  J.  Crum,  Minister Hubbard,  O. 

William  R,  Davis,  Teacher Hillsville,  Pa. 

Alonzo  W.  Fortune,  Minister Chagrin  Falls 

Annie    L.    Gould,    Teacher Bedford 

Delbert  E.  Graver,  Prmcipal  of  High  School Claridon 

John  S.  Kenyon,  Professor  in  Christian  College Canton,  Mo. 

Ernest  D.  Long,  Professor  at  Angola.  Ind.,  Normal. ..  .Angola,  Ind. 

Mrs.  Ella  Poppv  AlcConnell,  Minister ]Mineral  Ridge 

Willard  R.  Moffett,  Minister Belle  Center,  O. 

H.  Wallace  ]\Iurry.  Medical  Student Camden,  N.  J. 

Earl   B.    Newton,    Business Cleveland 

Mrs.    Myra    Pow    Kenyon Canton,    Mo. 

Elizabeth    Roberts,    Teacher Owosso,    Mich. 

William  A.  Scott,  Minister West  Point,  Miss. 

Mrs.   Lorena  Way  Newcomb Shalersville 

Bert   W.   Wilson,    Medical    Student Cleveland 

Percy  H.   Wilson,   Minister Austintown 

Clinton  M.  Young,  Professor  at  Add  Ran  University.  .Waco,  Texas 

1899 

Albertus  H.   Alden,  Medical   Student Cleveland 

J.   Everest  Allyn,   Farmer Hiram 

Will  A.  Bellamy,  Minister Evansville,  Ind. 

Myrta  M.  Bennett,  Teacher  at  Chagrin   Falls Chagrin  Falls 

John  T,  Bridwell.  ^Minister McArthur,  O. 

Albert    W.    Cinniger,    Attorney Medina 

Edwin  B.  CoUister,  Law  Student Wellsville.   N.  Y. 

Clara  C.  Darsie.  Secretary  of  Y.  M.  C.  A Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Benjamin   M.    Derthick,    Minister Solon 

J.   Ray  Ewers,   Minister Bowling  Green 

Lester   B.   Gary,    Student  at   Case   School Cleveland 


APPENDIX.  365 

Ross  D.  Gates,  Teacher Chardon 

Arthur   Holmes,    Minister Philadelphia 

Guy   Hoover,  Minister Minerva 

Harry  C.  Hurd,  Medical  Student Cincinnati 

Mervin  L.  Jenney,   Minister Cleveland 

J.  Norman  Johnston,   Minister Augusta 

Yetaro  Kinosita,  Student  at  Columbia  University.  ...New  York  City 

Fred    Kline,    Minister Ravenna 

Josephine  A.  Line,  Medical  Student Ann  Arbor 

Frederick  S.  Linsell,  Minister Paw  Paw,  Mich. 

Frank  M.  Longanecker,  Professor  at  Fayette  Normal  School.  . 

Fayette 

William  A.   McCartney,  Minister Granger 

Bruce  McCully,  Student  at  Chicago  University Chicago,  111. 

Arthur  S.  Mottinger,  Law  Student Akron 

Florence  E.  Oliver,  Teacher Princeton,   Mo. 

William  L.  Parsons,  Business Cleveland 

Bernice  M.  Phinney,  Teacher Cleveland 

J.  Caldwell  Price,  Medical  Student Cleveland 

Frank   C.    Rulon,   Assistant   Professor    of   Mathematics    Hiram 

College   Hiram 

J.  Hubert  Turney,  Attorney Madison,  O. 

Cora    M.    Turney Deceased 

Katharine  M.  Weeks,  Teacher St.  Lawrence,  S.  D. 

Clifton  C.  Wise,  Business Millersburg,  O. 

J900 

Webb  Parks   Chamberlain Tvvinsburg 

Virginia  Dillinger   Findlay 

James  Hermon  Dodd Hiram 

Frank  Milton  Field Sandy  Lake,  Pa. 

Thomas  Alfred  Fleming Kilsythe,   Ontario,   Can. 

George  Berle  Fox  Welshfield 

Joseph  Laurel  Garvin  Hiram 

Oswald  Joseph  Grainger De  Soto,   Mo. 

Edward  Atwood  Henry Canandaigua.  N.  Y. 

James   Garfield   Henry Geauga    Lake 

Henry   Daniels    Herrick Tvvinsburg 

Walter  Chesterfield  Gibbs Ludlow,  Ky. 

James    Byron   Kahle Tcdrow 

John  T.  Le  Fevre Hamilton,  Ontario,  Can. 

Erwin    Henry    McConoughey Solon 

Firman   C.   McCormick Hiram 

Ada  May  McCormick Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 

Olney  Lee   Mercer Rudolpli 

Frederick  Bernard  Messing North  Tonawanda,  N.  Y. 

Ralph   Otis  Newcomb Garrettsvillc 

Fred   Andrew    Nichols Hiram 

John  Charles  Rhodes Portland,   Ore. 

.Mice  Townsend  Robinson Angola,  Ind. 


366  APPENDIX. 

William  Frederick  Rothenburger Holgate 

Walter  Sleeper  Rounds Kalamazoo,    Mich. 

Ward  Cleland  Sager Br3'an 

Charles   Sumner   Smith Newton   Falls 

Warren   William   Wager Bryan 

Arthur    Paul    Wakefield Hiram 

Walter  D.   Ward Winfield 

John  Warren   Wiseman North   Royalton 

ALUMNI,  LITERARY  COURSE. 

J  893 

Howard  H.  Bean,  Physician Barberton,  O. 

L.  A.  Chapman,  Minister Lorain,  O. 

J.  H.  Mohorter,  Minister Boston,  Mass. 

Charles    E.    Rose,    Farmer Lordstown 

Joseph  T.   Shreve,   Minister Shreve 

1894 

Mrs.    Francis    Barbe    Webb Deceased 

T.  A.   Cooper,   Minister Atlanta,   Ind. 

Z.  O.  Doward,  Minister Grand  Island.  Neb. 

U.  G.  Gordon,  Teacher Taylorsville,  111. 

Mary  F.  Kelly,  Missionary Nankin,  China 

Octavius  Singleton,  Teacher Louisville.   Ky. 

John  H.  Stove,  Minister Hamilton.  Ind. 

G.  B.  Townsend.  Minister Troy,   N.  Y. 

Norman  C.  Yarian,  Physician Cleveland 

J895 

Jacob  W.  Baker,  Insurance  Agent Cleveland 

Mrs.  Ada  Linton  Patterson Hudson 

1896 

Edward   Bower,   Insurance   Agent Cleveland 

Florence  M.  Campbell New  Cumberland.  W.   Va. 

Ella  A.  Caine New  Castle,  Pa. 

Mrs.  Ella  Dodd  McGill Paulding 

Mrs.   Carrie  Goodrich  Kelly,  Missionary Nankin,  China 

Mrs.  Jeanette  Howe  Wilson Richmond,  Ind. 

Otto  A.  Meredith,  Medical  Student Cleveland,  O. 

Webster  G.  Moore,  Minister Akron,  O. 

James  A.  Wharton,  Minister Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y. 

Will  B.  White,  Business Cleveland 

1897 

Dennison  R.  >Moss,  Minister Niles 

Charles  F.  Schovanek,  Minister North   Lindale 


APPENDIX.  367 

1898 

Tom  L.  Baxter,  Medical  Student Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 

Blanche  M.  Beck Deceased 

Ethel  C.  Caskej%  Teacher Bedford.  O. 

Harvey  F.  Fetzer,  Student  in  Case  School Cleveland,  O. 

Justin    N.    Green,    Assistant    Secretary    of   Foreign    Missionary 

Society Cincinnati.  O. 

Z.  A.  Harris,  Minister Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 

James   Johnston,    Minister Adelaide,    South    Australia 

O.   T.    Manly,    Physician Garrettsville,   O. 

L.  J.  McConnell,  Minister Mineral  Ridge,  O. 

Mrs.  Clara  Worst  Miller Ashland,  O. 

L.    O.   Packer,  Teacher Deckers    Point,   Pa. 

Esther  B.  Patterson,  Secretary  of  Hiram  College  Faculty.  .Hiram,  O. 

Susie  L.  Rawson,  Missionary Mahoba,  India 

Carl  D.  Thayer,  Business Cleveland,  O. 

Samuel  Traum,   Minister Wilmington,  O. 

Leonard  J.  Wilson,  Student  in  Case   School Cleveland,   O. 

1899 

M.   H.    Axline,    Medical    Student Cincinnati 

Jennie  E.  Britton,  Teacher Edwards,  Miss. 

Charles  T.  Fredenburg,  Minister Bingham  Roads,  Ontario,  Can. 

Daniel  B.  Grubb   Mt.  Vernon 

Homer  H.  Heath,  Medical  Student Cleveland,  O. 

Laurence  E.   Heiges,  Teacher Churchill 

Carl  S.  Hertzog,  Professor  of  Mathematics Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Lois  Hurd Dexter  City 

John  T.  LeFevre,  Minister London,  Ontario,  Can. 

Harry  W.   McMahon,   Business Cleveland 

Harrison  F.  Miller,  Minister Lowell,  O. 

J900 

Ora  Carlton  Arndt Sullivan 

Roy   Bayard   Bacon Cortland 

Silas  Haydn  Calender Miltoa 

Florence   Hathaway    Cleveland 

Howard   B.    Hazzard Lordstown 

Kromer  C.   Ice Salem,   W.   Va. 

Adelaide  A.  E.  Jobes Erie,  Pa. 

Manley  Spaulding  Lawrence East  Canton,   Pa. 

Louis  John   Lcet Freedom 

Randolph   Yates   McCray Mansfield 

Asa  McDanicl    Waco 

Grace   Elizabeth   ATcKibben Newton    Falls 

T'harles   Grier   Robinson Rockaway 

'■  "harles  Scott  Rowley North  Fairfield 

Nella  Luella  Shriver Dexter  City 

Celestia    May    Turnbull E'dinburg 

Ralph  Tiffany  Williams Chagrin   Fails 


368 


APPENDIX. 


Principals  of  the 

Primary 

Department 

of  the 

Western  Reserve 

Eclectic   Institute 


At  the  opening  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute in  1850 — a  Primary  Department  was  a  prominent  fea- 
ture, and  children  not  yet  in  their  teens  were  gathered  into 
classes  and  special  teachers  provided  for  them.     This  ar- 
rangement continued  until  1857,  when  it 
was  discontinued.     This  department  was 
in  charge  of  a  woman  who  not  only  taught 
the  primary  scholars,  but  also  looked  after 
the   interests  and  conduct   of  the  young 
women  of  the  school. 

During  the  period  from  1850  to  1857 
five  ladies  had  charge  of  this  Department : 

Phoebe  M.  Drake 1850 — 1851 

Laura  A.  Clark 185 1 — 1852 

Calista  O.  Carlton 1852 — 1853 

Harriet  E.  Wood 1853 — 1854 

Sarah  Udall   1854— 1857 

After  the  discontinuance  of  the  Primary  Department 
Miss  Almeda  A.  Booth  had  general  charge  of  the  Ladies' 
Department  of  the  school  until  the  establishment  of  the  Col- 
lege in  1867.  Since  that  time  15  different  ladies  have  been 
elected  to  the  position : 


Lottie  M.  Sackett 1867— 

Cortentia  C.  Munson 1868 — 

Juliette  Comstock 1869 — 

Ellen  Jackson   1870 — 

Mrs.  Marietta  Cuscaden 1871 — 

Mrs.  Phoebe  B.  Clapp 1877— 

Mary  B.  Jewett 1880— 

jl'.Iinnie  E.  Robison 1884 — 

Phoebe  T.  Sutliff 1886— 

Kate  L  Beattie 1887— 

Mary  B.  Hamilton 1889 — 

Hellen  B.  Pettibone 1891 — 

Mrs.  Hattie  L.  Barclay 1893— 

Mary  Graybiel 1894 — 

Marcia  Henry 1895 — 


868 
869 
870 
871 
877 


884 
886 
887 
889 
891 

893 
894 

895 
901 


The  character  and  ability  of  each  and  all  of  these  ladies, 


APPENDIX.  369 

were  of  such  a  grade  that  the  Institution  was  honored  by 
them  and  their  assistance  in  its  administration  highly  appre- 
ciated. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram  Col- 

-Phg  lege  has  always  been  composed  of  men, 

Board  of  Trustees,    honorable,  faithful  and  capable — some  of 

them  of  exceptional   ability   as  business 

men. 

Of  the  entire  number  of  Trustees  for 
Presidents  fifty  years  six  only  have  been  elected  Pres- 

of  the  Board.        ident  and  two  Vice  President.    Those  who 
have  filled  the  ofiice  of  President  are : 

Carnot  Mason  1849  to  1856 

Alvah  Udall 1856  to  1880 

John  J.  Ryder 1880  to  1890 

A.  Teachout 1890  to  1892 

Charles  E.  Henry 1892  to  1899 

Charles  B.  Lockwood 1899  to  1901 

Those  who  have  been  elected  Vice  President  are : 

Sutton  E.  Young 1894  to  1896 

F.  M.  Green 1896  to  1901 

For  fifty  years  six  persons  have  filled  the  office  of  Sec- 
retary of  the  Board  of  Trustees.     In  many  respects  this  is 
the  most  important  and  difficult  of  the  offices  created  by  the 
Board.    The  value  of  the  records  depends 
Secretaries  very  largely  on  the  ability  of  the  Secre- 

of  the  Board.         tary  to  get  accurately,  to  record  legibly 
and  intelligently,  and  to  register  system- 
atically the  action  of  the  Board  at  its  regular  and  special 
meetings.     Those  who  have  occupied  this  office  and  their 
terms  of  service  are  as  follows : 

Dr.  Lyman  W.  Trask 1849 — 1864 

Dr.  Andrew  J.  Squire 1864 — 1875 

Grove  E.  Barber 1875— 1882 

Arthur  C.  Pierson 1882 — 1889 

Bailey  S.  Dean 1889 — 1899 

Alanson  Wilcox   1899 — 1901 

It  is  only  justice  to  say  that  the  records  of  Dr.  Trask 
are  models,  and  characterize  all  the  elements  of  a  first-class 


37°  APPENDIX.      ■ 

Recording  Secretary.     The  printed  page  is  not  more  easily 
searched  than  are  his  written  Hnes. 

Treasurers  Five  persons    have  held    the  office    of 

of  the  Board.        Treasurer  since  1849: 

Svmonds  Rvder 1849 — 1860 

Zeb  Rudolph i860— 1868 

Richard  Hank 1868— 1876 

Burke  A.  Hinsdale 1876— 1883 

George  H.  Colton 1883 — 1901 

In  personal  honesty,  in  financial  capacity,  in  all  the 
sterling  qualities  of  men  their  record  is  unchallenged  and  un- 
stained. 

The  personnel  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 

Members  of  the      tees    is     represented    by    the    following 

Board  of  Trustees,    names,  the  year  of  election,  and  in  most 

cases  the  year  when  their  service  ended : 

Carnot  Mason Hiram  1850 — '55 

Samuel  Church Pittsburgh,  Pa 1850 — '51 

George  Pow   New  Albany 1850 — '51 

Kimball   Porter    Wooster    1850 — '51 

J.  H.  Jones  Wooster    1850 — '53 

Frederick  Williams Ravenna    . ,      ^850 — '63 

Isaac  Errett Warren   1850 — '58 

J.  A.  Ford Burton 1850— '58 

Symonds  Ryder Hiram   1850 — '60 

Aaron  Davis Bazetta    1850 — '69 

Wm.  Hay  den   Chagrin  Falls 1850 — '6;^ 

A.  L.  Soule Russell    185 1 — '55 

George  King    Chardon    185 1 — '59 

Wm.  Richards Hiram   185 1 — '61 

Alvah  Udall Hiram  1853— '87 

Alvah    Humeston    Hiram  1855 — '61 

Dr.  M.  Jewett Mogadore 1855 — '59 

Harmon  Austin Warren  1858 — '94 

W.  J.  Ford  Hiram   1856— '01 

Thomas  Carroll Munson 1859 — '62 

A.  S.  Hayden Euclid   1859— '68 

Hartwell  Ryder  Hiram   i860 — '79 

J.  P.  Robison Bedford 1861— '86 


APPENDIX. 


371 


R.  M.  Bishop Cincinnati  1863 — '65 

D.  W.  Canfield Chardon    1863 — '71 

A.  B.  Way  Alliance 1863— '66 

J.  A.  Garfield Hiram   1864— '82 

C.  B.  Lockwood Cleveland    1865 — '01 

J.  H.  Rhodes  Cleveland    1866— '90 

A.  Teachout  Cleveland    1869 — '01 

Thomas  W.  Phillips New  Castle,  Pa 1868— '01 

B.  F.  Waters Hiram   1869 — '90 

John  F.  Whitney Freedom   1869 — 75 

W.  S.  Streator East  Cleveland 1871 — '86 

Freeman  Udall St.  Louis,  Mo 1771 — 'yy 

F.  M.  Andrews  Titusville,  Pa 1872 — '76 

H.  L.  Morgan Newburgh    1872 — '97 

Thomas  N.  Easton Hinckley 1872 — '73 

J.  L.  Parmly Painesville    1872 — '01 

R.  M.  Hank Hiram  1872— '80 

J,  J.  Ryder   Hiram   1872 — '92 

A.  J.  Squire   Hiram   1872 — '80 

Albert  Williams   Akron    1872 — '75 

Geo.  A.  Baker Cleveland    1872 — '84 

Lathrop  Cooley Cleveland    1872 — '01 

A.  J.  Marvin Qeveland    1872 — '99 

Wm.  Bowler Cleveland    1873 — '94 

W.  P.  Hudson Cleveland    1875 — '90 

C.  E.  Henry Cleveland    1876 — *oT 

C.   W.    Hemry    Solon 1876— '85 

Cyrus  Ryder Hiram   1877 — '84 

H.  C.  White Cleveland    1878— '85 

O.  G.  Kent Cleveland    1879 — '01 

R.  Stanhope Hiram   1879 — '82 

Andrew  Squire Cleveland    1880 — 'oi 

B.  A.  Hinsdale Hiram   1880— '92 

A.  A.  House North  Bristol 1882 — '00 

Lucretia  R.  Garfield Mentor    1882— '97 

C.  H.  Ryder Hiram   1883— '85 

W.  U.  Masters Cleveland    1883— '86 

O.  C.  Atwater TTiram   1884— '89 

E.  B.  Wakefield Warren  1884— '92 

Charles  Fillius Warren   1885 — '01 


372  APPENDIX. 

John  F.  Rodifer Bellaire  l886— '89 

I.  A.  Thayer New  Castle,  Pa.  . .  .  1886 — '89 

D.  H.  Beaman Hiram   1887 — '90 

Albert  Allen Akron    1873 — '89 

F.  AI.  Green Kent    1889 — '01 

Alanson  Wilcox Cleveland    1890 — '01 

Frank  A.  Derthick Mantua   1892 — '01 

F.    Treudley    Youngstovvn 1892 — 'oi 

O.  G.  Kent Cleveland    1892 — '01 

B.  L.  Pennington Cleveland    1892 — '99 

V.  A.  Taylor  Bedford 1892 — '93 

Sutton  E.  Young Rapid  City,  S.  D. .  .  1893 — '98 

William  G.  Dietz Cleveland    1893 — '01 

H.  R.  Cooley   Cleveland    1894 — '01 

Robert  Miller  Tiffin   1894— '01 

W.  B.  Hinsdale  Ann  Arbor 1895 — '01 

H.  E.  McMillin Cleveland    1895— '01 

Henry  C.  Christy Cleveland    1896 — '01 

Charles  Babcock Cleveland    1897 — '98 

W.  J.  White Cleveland    1898— '99 

Frederick  A.  Henry Cleveland    1899 — '01 

Frank  C.  Robbins Niles    1889 — '01 

Warren  S.  Hayden Cleveland    1900 — '01 

The  total  number  of  different  persons  elected  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  is  86.  The  first  date  in  the  table  repre- 
sents the  year  in  which  the  member  was  elected,  the  second 
date  represents  the  period  to  which  the  member  has  served. 
,„  ,  _     ,  Of  those  who  are  members  of  the  present 

■  "'■     °^  ■  Board  Mr.  W.  J.  Ford  was  first  elected  in 

1856,  succeeding  his  father,  John  Augustus  Ford,  who  was 
a  charter  member  of  the  Institution.  Mr.  Ford's  service, 
however,  has  not  been  continuous,  though  he  has  served 
from  the  time  of  his  first  election  to  the  present  35  years. 

Mr.  C.  B.  Lockwood  was  elected  in  1865  and  has  served 
continuously  to  the  present  time.  He  has  been  longer  in  ser- 
vice than  any  other  of  the  86  Trustees.  For  more  than 
thirty  years  as  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  the 

^  „  ^  ,  ,  Board,  he  has  had  the  oversight  of  all  the 
C  B.  Lockwood.        ,        ii-.i/^n  ji  ii. 

funds  of  the  College ;  and  very  largely  to 

his  business  foresight  and  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the 


APPENDIX.  373 

College  "without  money  and  without  price,"  is  the  College 
indebted  for  its  present  substantial  tinancial  basis.  No  mem- 
ber has  ever  served  more  faithfully  or  intelligently  and  no 
member  is  worthier  of  the  sincere  regard  of  the  friends  of 
Hiram  College  than  is  Charles  Brown  Lockwood. 

He  was  born  in  Mexico,  Oswego  County,  New  York,  in 
1829.  In  1832  he  came  to  Ohio,  his  father  settling  at  Solon. 
Here  and  at  Bedford  Academy  he  was  educated.  In  1850 
„,         ,  he  went  to  California.    Returninsf  in  i8S4 

he  entered  a  law  school  at  Poughkeepsie, 
New  York,  where  he  graduated  and  was  admitted  to  the 
New  York  bar  in  1856.  In  1857  he  engaged  in  business  at 
Solon.  In  1864  and  again  in  1866  he  was  elected  from  Cuy- 
ahoga County  to  the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  In  1877  he  commenced 
business  in  Cleveland ;  and  since  the  organization  of  the 
Lockwood-Taylor  Hardware  Company  he  has  been  its  Pres- 
ident. For  five  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  State  Asylum  for  the  Insane  at  Newburgh ; 
and  for  twelve  years  he  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Tax  Com- 
mission of  the  city  of  Cleveland.  In  1899  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hiram  College,  a 
position  he  now  holds. 

Thomas  W.  Phillips  first  became  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  in  1868  and  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  1900. 
Besides  giving  freely  of  his  time  to  the  interests  of  the  Col- 

\v  ph'ir  '^^^  ^^^  established  what  is  known  as  the 

jps.  "Phillips  Loan  Fund"  in  1891  which  has 
grown  through  his  aid  and  the  contributions  of  others  from 
$5,000  to  $12,504.45  in  1900. 

J.  L.  Parmly  has  served  the  College  from  1872  to  1901. 
He  not  only  has  contributed  of  his  time  and  ability  to  the 
influence  of  the  Board  but  he  is  also  a 
^'  '  ^^  ^'  large  contributor  to  the  permanent  endow- 
ment of  the  College. 

Abram  Teachout  has  served  on  the  Board  since  1809 

and  his  interest  in  the  College  is  still  unabated.    The  Teach- 

.    „      ,  out    Observatory   and    Library    Building 

erected  in  honor  of  the  Semi-Centennial 

Jubilee  of  the  College  will  stand,  so  long  as  it  endures  as 


374  APPENDIX. 

the  material  monument  of  his  faith  in  the  future  possibiHties 
of  the  College  for  which  he  has  given  generously  of  time 
and  money  for  almost  a  third  of  a  century. 

Lathrop  Cooley  began  his  service  as  Trustee  in  1872 

and  with  a  slight  intermission  has  served  ever  since.     Be- 

sides  other  contributions  from  time  to  time 

rop  00  ey.  j^.^  ^.^^  ^^  ^  telescope  to  crown  the  Teach- 
out  Observatory  will  reflect  his  name  from  every  star  that 
shines  over  Hiram  Hill. 

Among  the  honorary  members  of  the  Board  of  1900  the 
name  of  William  Bowler  is  written  large.  He  was  elected 
a  Trustee  in  1873,  and  from  that  time  onward  until  his  ac- 
,y  .  tive  work   ceased  on  account  of  failing 

health  no  form  was  more  frequently  seen 
in  Hiram  and  no  face  more  gladly  welcomed  than  his.  His 
devotion  to  the  College  had  no  limitations  save  those  of  op- 
portunity and  ability. 

He  was  born  March  25,  1822,  in  Carlisle,  New  York. 
When  only  a  boy  he  came  to  Ohio,  where  on  the  Western 
Reserve  his  early  education  was  received.  Since  185 1  he 
has  resided  in  Cleveland,  where  he  has  lived  an  active  public 
life.  In  one  of  the  crises  through  which  the  College  has 
passed  he  came  to  the  front  and  with  almost  limitless  pa- 
tience and  faith  he  continued  until  success  was  assured. 

Other  members  of  the  Board  of  1900  deserve  mention 

for  what  they  have  done  in  bringing  the  College  up  to  the 

present  high  standard  financially  and  otherwise :  Wm.  G. 

Dietz,  the  present  Chairman  of  the  Fi- 

Other  Members      nance  Committee,  a  most  worthy  successor 

of  the  to  C.  B.  Lockwood ;  O.  G.  Kent,  in  an 

Board  of  1900.       emergency  always  ready  with  person  and 

money  to  help;  Robert  Miller,  quiet  but 

faithful ;  Charles  E.  Henry,  whose  wide  acquaintance  with 

countries  and  people  has  been  of  great  value  to  the  College ; 

H.  E.  McMillin,  whose  business  sagacity,  and  generosity 

have  never  failed  to  be  found  in  the  right  place ;  and  Fred 

Treudley  who  more  than  any  other  member  represents  the 

schools  of  the  State. 

Of  those  who  have  died  and  remembered  Hiram  in  the 
distribution  of  their  estates  Albert  Allen  stands  among  the 


APPENDIX. 


375 


first.     He  was  elected  to  the  Board  in  1873,  the  year  the 

. ,,     ^  . ,,  number  of  the  Trustees  was  doubled,  and 

Albert  Allen.  ' 


remained  a  member  until  his  death  in  i^ 
Fearless  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty  as  he  saw  it,  and 
faithful  in  every  business  obligation,  he  was  a  model  for  the 
business  world. 

He  was  born  in  Coventry,  near  Akron,  O.,  March  12, 
1827.  His  parents,  Levi  Allen  and  Phoebe  Spicer  Allen, 
were  of  the  sturdy  pioneer  stock  of  Ohio.  He  was  raised  on 
a  farm  and  attended  such  schools  as  were  accessible  in  that 
day.  He  was  a  very  capable  business  man  and  ranked  high 
among  business  men.  He  became  a  Christian  early  in  life 
and  was  always  a  generous  and  liberal  giver  to  church  and 
educational  enterprises.  For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the 
strong  members  of  the  High  Street  Church  in  Akron  and  its 
most  liberal  supporter.  He  gave  ten  thousand  dollars  to  the 
endowment  fund  of  Hiram  College  and  for  years  the  trio 
who  had  contributed  ten  thousand  dollars  or  more  to  Hiram 
included  the  names  of  Albert  Allen,  Flora  C.  Randall,  and 
Robert  Kerr — their  gifts  aggregating  $52,000.  He  died 
September  25,  1888. 

Thomas  N.  Easton,  who  was  elected  a  member  of  the 

Board  in  1872.     He  was  a  friend  to  higher  education  and 

„,  VT  T^    .         became  a  special  friend  of  Hiram  College 

Thomas  N.  Easton.  ,       111  d>o  ^     -^  j  i. 

and  added  $8,000  to  its  endowment. 

By  occupations  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  1900  consists 

of  13  business  men,  4  preachers,  3  lawyers,  i  farmer,  2  phy- 

sicians,  and   i  teacher.     Of  these  11  be- 

ccupa  ions.        j^^^  ^^  ^^^  Alumni  of  the  College  and 

hold  its  degrees. 

Its  honorary  members  in  1900  were  Wm.  Bowler.  B.  A. 
Hinsdale,  W.  S.  Streator,  B.  L.  Pennington  and  A.  J.  Mar- 
vin. 

June  10,   1868,  W.  J.  Ford,  Einancial  Agent  for  the 
Eclectic  Institute  and  Hiram  College  was  asked  by  the  Board 
of  Trustees  to  submit  a  summarized  statement  of  his  collec- 
tions, disbursements  and  services  for  the 
A  Statement  of       period  between  1859  and   1868  inclusive. 
Account  As  this  is  the  only  report  of  like  character 

hj  W.  J.  Ford.       on  record  the  conclusions  are  here  given 
as  a  matter  of  interest :  Cash  collected, 


376  APPENDIX. 

$16,228.15;  pledges  for  stock  and  Endowment  Fund,  $77,- 
180;  out  of  this  was  paid  $4,978.64  on  Boarding  House  debt, 
and  to  teachers ;  for  two  courses  of  lectures  to  preachers. 
$4,421.47,  leaving  on  hand  September  22,  1868,  stock 
$1,000;  in  the  hands  of  Finance  Committee,  $2,000;  for  the 
Biblical  Department,  $5,155;  for  a  Professorship  in  Biblical 
Department,  $17,125;  for  endowment  to  College  on  the 
scholarship  plan,  $1,400;  to  be  used  for  repairs,  $1,500;  in 
bonds  and  contracts  for  Endowment  Fund,  $51,000;  $452.86 
on  salary  of  Principal  and  for  catalogues ;  and  for  the  ser- 
vices of  the  Agent,  $4,375.18,  making  a  total  of  $93,408.15. 

The  cost  of  soliciting  the  entire  amount  was  less  than 
six  per  cent.,  and  the  per  cent,  for  cash  actually  received 
nearly  twenty-one.  In  his  canvass  during  the  time  from  1859 
to  April  23,  1868,  Mr.  Ford  worked  944^4  days,  and  the 
total  amount  of  railroad  fare,  carriage  hire  and  hotel  ex- 
penses was  $1,290.82. 

Mr.  Ford  began  his  work  as  Financial  Agent  with  the 
Church  of  Christ  at  Huntsburgh  in  Trumbull  County,  and 
closed  with  the  church  in  Stow,  Summit  County.  In  writ- 
ing of  his  first  plea  for  Hiram  Mr.  Ford  says :  "When  the 
subscribing  was  done  a  little  girl  came  down  the  aisle  with 
tears  shining  on  her  cheeks,  and  took  the  paper  to  the  back 
part  of  the  house,  and  doubled  the  amount.  This  act  I  took 
as  the  Lord's  promise  to  me  that  we  should  go  forward  and 
not  fail." 

Of  those  who  greatly  assisted  Mr.  Ford  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  canvass  was  Benjamin  F.  Waters  who  is  yet  liv- 

„   ^  ^,,  in"-  in  a  serene  old  asfe  near  Hiram.    ?slr. 

B.  F.  Waters.  ,,?',  ,  *  r  •      j  ^     xj- 

waters  always  was  a  warm  friend  to  Hi- 
ram and  as  Trustee,  liberal  giver  and  canvasser  for  funds, 
and  in  continued  friendship  he  is  worthy  of  long  remem- 
brance. 

]\Iay  7,  1850,  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees after  the  granting  of  the  Charter,  Isaac  Errett  and  A. 
S.  Hayden  were  directed  to  prepare  a  cir- 
First  Circular       cular  for  publication  "to  give  general  in- 
W.  R.'^E!l['nrtitute.    formation  relative  to  the  objects  and  plan 
of  the  school  and  the  state  of  progress." 


VVII.I.IA.M    liOWI.KU. 


APPENDIX. 


6/  i 


As  this  is  the  first  hteratiire  issued  by  the  authority  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  it  is  of  interest : 

WESTERN  RESERVE  ECLECTIC  INSTITUTE. 

Dear  Brethren : — We  affectionately  solicit  your  atten- 
tion to  a  statement  of  facts,  touching  an  enterprise  very  dear 
to  our  hearts — the  contemplated  school  at  Hiram — The 
WE.STERN  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute. 

It  is  generally  known,  that  at  a  meeting  of  Delegates 
from  thirty-one  Churches  on  the  Western  Reserve,  held  in 
Aurora,  Nov.  1849,  it  was  agreed  to  establish  an  Institution 
of  learning,  such  as  might  meet,  in  the  character  and  scope 
of  its  instructions,  and  especially,  its  moral  and  religious 
instructions,  the  wants  of  the  brotherhood ;  and  that  such 
Institution  should  be  located  at  Hiram,  Portage  County, 
Ohio.  At  another  meeting  of  Delegates  in  Hiram,  Dec. 
1849,  the  preparatory  steps  were  taken  towards  the  estab- 
lishment of  such  an  Institution.  A  Board  of  Trustees  was 
appointed,  composed  of  the  follov/ing  brethren  :  George  Pow, 
Samuel  Church,  Aaron  Davis,  Isaac  Errett,  Carnot  Mason, 
Zeb  Rudolph,  Symonds  Rider,  J.  A.  Ford,  Kimball  Porter, 
Wm.  Hayden,  Frederick  Williams  and  A.  S.  Hayden ;  a 
Charter  drafted  and  approved,  and  forwarded  to  the  Legis- 
lature— a  Charter  making  special  provision  for  instruction  in 
the  Holy  Scripture,  as  an  essential  part  of  the  course  of  Ed- 
ucation in  the  Institution.  Subsequently,  the  Charter  passed 
the  Legislature ;  stock  in  shares  of  $25  each,  having  been 
taken  to  the  amount  of  $5,000,  the  Board  of  Trustees  ener- 
getically pushed  forward  the  enterprise  through  its  incipient 
stages.  A  Farm  of  fifty-six  acres  has  been  purchased  at  the 
centre  of  Hiram,  embracing  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sites 
for  buildings  anywhere  to  be  found,  and  containing  ample 
grounds  for  lots  to  be  occupied  by  those  wishing  to  enjoy 
the  benefits  of  the  Institution,  which  the  Trustees  can  sell 
at  reasonable  rates.  A  Building  Committee  appointed  by 
the  Trustees,  have  let  out  contracts  for  the  stone,  brick  and 
woodwork  of  the  vSchool  Edifice — an  Edifice  intended  to  be 
substantia],  tasteful,  and  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate 
one  hundred  and  fifty  students.  The  foundations  of  the 
building  are  actually  laid,  the  work  is  rapidly  progressing, 


378  APPENDIX. 

and  the  building  will  be  ready  for  use  by  next  Fall.  A  Com- 
mittee has  also  been  appointed  to  secure  the  services  of 
Teachers,  that  the  first  Term  may  commence  by  the  first  of 
October  next. 

Thus  you  will  see,  dear  brethren,  that  the  Board  of 
Trustees  are  disposed  to  act  with  energy  in  the  work  com- 
mitted to  their  trust.  But  to  carry  forward  their  work  to 
completion,  will  require  greatly  increased  liberality  on  the 
part  of  the  brethren.  Below  is  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of 
farm,  buildings,  etc. 

Farm $1 ,800.00 

Building 7,500.00 

Furnishing 1,000.00 

Total $10,300.00 

To  meet  this,  we  have  subscriptions  to  the  amount 

of $5,000.00 

Leaving  a  deficit  of 5,300.00 

We  have  been  cheered  by  assurances  that  the  Churches 
generally,  were  favorable  to  the  enterprise,  and  would  cer- 
tainly sustain  it.  The  time  has  come,  when  this  must  be 
done,  or  the  consequences  must  be  disastrous  to  the  enter- 
prise. 

We  make  an  afifectionate  and  earnest  appeal  to  our 
brethren  in  behalf  of  this  Institution,  just  struggling  into 
life.  We  need  such  a  school.  The  highest  religious  consid- 
'erations  demand  that  we  go  on  with  it.  We  cannot  fail  in  it 
without  dishonor.  We  cannot  succeed  in  it  without  the 
most  desirable  results  flowing  to  our  children  and  children's 
children.  "Why  should  the  work  cease?"  Will  you  be  ready 
dear  brethren,  when  a  solicitor  calls,  to  aid  as  largely  as 
possible?  Or  will  you,  without  a  solicitor,  forward  your 
donations  or  subscriptions,  and  by  timely  aid  in  a  most  right- 
eous and  benevolent  work,  do  honor  to  your  Christian  pro- 
fession, and  "lay  up  in  store  a  good  foundation  against  the 
time  to  come."     By  order  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

CARNOT  MASON,  President  of  the  Board. 
L.  W.  TRASK.  Secretary. 

May  13,  1850,  the  Board  of  Trustees  resolved  "That 


APPENDIX.  379 

Aaron  Davis  be  empowered  to  solicit  funds,  and  to  spend 

as  much  time  as  shall  be  in  his  power,  in  Trumbull  county, 

.  Ohio.     The  following  autograph  declara- 

„  ..  tion  of  his  authority  is  in  the  handwriting 

of  Dr.  Lyman  W.  Trask,  Secretary,  and 
Carnot  Mason,  President : 

The  Trustees  of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute, 
hereby  authorize  Aaron  Davis  to  act  as  a  solicitor  to  obtain 
funds  and  subscriptions  for  the  establishment  of  said  Insti- 
tute.     By  order  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 

CARNOT  MASON,  President. 
LYMAN  W.  TRASK,  Secretary. 
Hiram,  May  13,  1850. 

The  first  subscription  paper  circulated  for  funds  for  the 
school  was  prepared  shortly  after  the  mieting  in  Aurora  in 
November,  1849.    The  heading  reads  as  follows :  "We,  the 
The  First  undersigned,  do  hereby  subscribe  the  sev- 

Subscription         eral  sums  annexed  to  our  names,  to  the 
Paper.  capital  stock  of  the  Western  Reserve  Ec- 

lectic Institute  to  be  established  in  the  township  of  Hiram, 
Portage  County,  Ohio,  upon  the  following  conditions : 
Twenty-five  dollars  to  constitute  one  share  and  the  right  to 
one  vote ;  one  hundred  dollars  the  right  to  four  votes ;  two 
hundred  dollars  six  votes  ;  three  hundred  dollars  seven  votes ; 
four  hundred  dollars  or  more  eight  votes.  Said  sums  pay- 
able to  the  Treasurer  of  said  Institute  in  quarterly  payments. 
First  payment  due  on  the  first  of  September,  1850." 

The  first  signatures  are  from  the  Church  in  Bazetta: 
Aaron  Davis,  $100;  Daniel  Faunce,  $50;  Moses  Bacon,  $25; 
J.  Y.  McKinney,  $25 ;  Otis  R.  Coburn, 
"*""^-  $25 ;  Robert  S.  Faunce,  $25 ;  Eldad  Bar- 

ton, $10;  and  Edwin  Wakefield,  $25 — a  total  of  $285. 

The  Lordstown  Church  was  represented  by  Moses  Has- 

kel,  Abraham  Leach,  Peleg  Lewis,  Peter  Wilson,  Irvin  P. 

Gordon,  Peter  Snyder,  I.   Tait,  B.  Tait, 

i^ordstown.  Robert    Tait,    and  Orman    Dean    to  the 

amount  of  $36.50. 


380  APPENDIX. 

The  Church  at  Howland  was  represent- 
ed by  Simeon  Drake,  Aaron  Drake,  Ja- 
Howland.  cob  Grove,  Joseph  Williams,  Rhoda  Lo- 

gan and  John  Buckingham,  Sarah  Drake, 
Phoebe  Drake,  to  the  amount  of  .$86.50. 
The  Hartford  Church  was  represented 
Hartford.  \^y  Rufus  Chapman  and  Milo  Dugan  to 

the  amount  of  $50. 

The  Champion  Church  was  represented 

Champion.  ^y  Thomas  Packard  and  Samuel  :\IcCoI- 

lum  to  the  amount  of  $6. 

The  Church  at  Newton  Falls  was  represented  by  David 

Robbins.  Jacob  Hawn,  William  Cook,  Edward  T.  Caldwell, 

Joseph  M.  Brockett,  George  Earl.  Cyrus 

Taylor,  Sarah  C.  Cole,  Mary  M.  Caldwell, 

and  Almon  Cook,  to  the  amount  of  $64. 

Milton  Rice  of  Southington  contributed 
$10.50;  Thomas  Hazeltine  for  the  Church 
Southington.         ^^  Sharon,    Pa.,  $50;    Isaac    Arkwright, 
Niles,  $25 ;  and  Isaac  Errett,  Bloomfield, 
$25.     The  old  document  is  badly  worn, 
Sharon,  Pa.  but  these    interesting  facts    are  gleaned 

from  it.    This  paper  is  the  one  carried  by 
Aaron  Davis. 

Abraham  Teachout  is  one  of  the  best  friends  Hiram 

College  ever  had.     He  has  been  a  trustee  nearly  ever  since 

the  Institution  became  a  College  in  1867,  commencing  his 

service  in  1869.    He  was  born  in  Ontario  County,  New  York 

,,     ,  August  17.  1817.    The  familv  is  of  Dutch 

Abraham  °^        't^  i-i.  '  ..   >■ 

ancestry.  Its  earliest  representatives  came 
to  America  in  the  i6th  century  and  set- 
tled in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  from  them  all  the  people  in 
the  country  bearing  the  name  have  descended.  In  religion 
the  familv  were  Baptists.  In  politics  his  father  was  a 
Whig. 

In  1837  his  father's  family  moved  to  Ohio  and  settled 
at  North  Royalton.  Soon  after  he  was  of  age  Abraham 
went  into  Cleveland  to  seek  employment,  and  finally  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  bowsman  on  a  canal  boat,  rising  soon 


APPENDIX.  3S1 

to  the  position  of  steersman,  then  captain,  and  at  last  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  boat.  He  also  secured  a  situation  in 
the  first  elevator  erected  in  Cleveland.  Later  he  became  a 
partner  with  Robert  Brayton  and  built  a  steam  sawmill  at 
Royalton,  whch  was  put  in  operation  November  10,  1845. 

He  then  embarked  in  mercantile  trade  at  Madison  in 
Lake  County.  In  1857  he  purchased  the  mill  privilege  at 
Painesville.  In  1862  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits  which  he  followed  for  several  years. 

In  1869  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  and  the  sale  of 
doors,  sash  and  blinds  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee.  This  laid 
the  foundation  of  his  present  business  in  Cleveland,  which 
he  began  in  1873.  In  company  with  his  son,  Albert  R. 
Teachout,  he  has  continued  to  the  present  with  great  suc- 
cess. 

He  was  married  February  22,  1842,  to  Julia  Ann  Tous- 
ley.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Mrs.  Laura  E.  Hathaway, 
in  1881.  His  third  marriage  was  to  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Hamilton 
in  1896, 

A.  B.  Green,  one  of  his  favorite  preachers,  performed 
the  ceremony  at  both  the  first  and  second  marriage.  W.  N. 
Arnold  at  the  third. 

He  was  converted  to  Christianity  by  the  preaching  of 
Alexander  Campbell,  Walter  Scott,  A.  B.  Green,  William 
Hayden,  and  A.  S.  Hayden.  He  was  baptized  in  Royalton 
in  June,  1851,  by  Wiliam  Hayden,  and  united  with  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  that  place.  In  1873  he  removed  his 
membership  to  the  Franklin  Circle  Church  in  Cleveland,  and 
soon  was  elected  to  its  eldership,  a  position  he  still  retains. 

He  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  educational 
affairs.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  in 
Madison  for  four  years,  and  in  Painesville  for  nine  years. 

He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hi- 
ram College  since  1859,  and  President  of  the  Board  for  six 
years.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Building  Committee  in  the 
erection  of  the  new  college  buildings,  and  superintended  the 
construction  of  Miller  Hall.  More  recently  he  has  erected 
the  Library  and  Observatory  building  at  his  own  expense. 
This  building  so  long  as  it  endures  will  stand  as  a  monu- 
ment to  his  love  for  Hiram,  and  his  generosity  to  the  College 


382  APPENDIX. 

in  every  hour  of  its  necessity,  Lathrop  Cooley,  his  life-long 
friend,  will  furnish  the  Observatory  with  a  first-class  tele- 
scope, and  the  two  names  will  be  indissolubly  linked  together 
as  long  as  the  stars  shine  over  Hiram  Hill. 

Mr.  Teachout  is  a  man  of  great  business  capacity,  ster- 
ling integrity,  an  abiding  friend,  a  Christian  without  stain, 
and  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  him  ;  and  his 
name  will  not  perish  as  long  as  Hiram  and  its  ever  increas- 
ing influence  continue  on  the  earth. 

But  few  of  the  details  of  College  administration  are 
ever  known  to  the  public,  and  yet  every  well-organized  fac- 
ulty has  its  secretary  and  keeps  a  record  term  by  term  and 
day  by  day  of  its  transactions.  Incidents,  transactions,  and 
„      It    M    f  results  can  be   found  in  the  records  of 

every  faculty  to  fill  a  volume  with  roman- 
tic interest  from  cover  to  cover.  For  instance  the  following 
is  the  record  for  January  14,  1857;  and  signed  by  J.  A.  Gar- 
field, secretary :  Teachers  met.  President  Hayden  in  the 
chair.     On  motion  of  J.   A.   Garfield   it  was  unanimously 

Resolved,  That  Messrs.  and be  required 

to  perform  some  rhetorical  exercise  before  the  school  prior 
to  next  Monday  morning  on  pain  of  expulsion.    Also  it  was 

unanimously  Resolved,  That  Miss and  j\Ir. 

be  requested  to  take  their  places  in  Miss  Booth's  grammar 
class,  on  pain  of  expulsion. 

At  another  meeting  in  the  same  month  "some  irregu- 
larities were  reported ;  that  Messrs. and 

had  been  found  in  the  room  of  the  Misses  at  2 

o'clock  at  night.  It  was  known  that  they  had  been  very  ir- 
regular in  their  school  duties  during  the  whole  term,  and 
after  a  full  investigation  of  the  case  it  was  unanimously 

Resolved,  That  Messrs. and be  dismissed 

from  the  school  for  the  remainder  of  the  term. 

At  still  another  meeting  in  the  same  month  "the  propri- 
ety of  having  budgets  read  before  public  lyceums  was  dis- 
cussed, and  finally  it  was  unanimously  Resolved,  That  no 
budget  should  be  read  unless  it  had  been  seen  and  approved 
by  some  one  or  more  of  the  teachers." 

May  20,    1857,  the  teachers  received  word  from  the 


APPENDIX.  3S3 

Board  of  Trustees  that  Mr.  A.  S.  Hayden  had  resigned  as 
Principal,  and  asking  them  to  take  charge  of  the  school 
which  they  agreed  to  do,  "if  satisfactory  arrangements  can 
be  made."  A  week  later  the  following  articles  of  agreement 
were  settled  upon :  The  Board  of  Education  agree  upon  their 
part  to  conduct  the  school,  furnish  the  wood  and  chalk,  pro- 
vide for  cleaning  the  seminary,  ringing  the  bell,  making  the 
fires,  and  pay  for  printing  rules  and  term  reports.  The  Board 
of  Trustees  agree  on  their  part  to  pay  to  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation the  entire  receipts  of  the  tuition,  to  publish  the  annual 
catalogue,  to  furnish  chemicals,  and  make  all  necessary  re- 
pairs of  the  buildings,  and  pay  for  advertising. 

May  30,  1857,  Mr.  Garfield  was  chosen  chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Education  and  J.  H.  Rhodes,  secretary.  At  this 
meeting  the  relative  wages  of  teachers  was  fixed:  Mr.  Gar- 
field and  Mr.  Dunshee  were  to  receive  $600  each ;  Mr.  Ever- 
est and  Mr.  Rhodes  $480  each ;  and  Miss  Booth  $400.  At 
other  meetings  following,  Mr.  Garfield  and  Miss  Booth  were 
"endowed  with  excusing  powers  and  in  their  absence  any 
teacher  may  exercise  this  power ;"  it  was  agreed  to  have  "a 
religious  meeting  every  Thursday  night  for  one  hour  to  con- 
sist of  a  short  discourse  and  social  exercises ;"  that  "the  cost 
of  the  winter's  wood  should  be  paid  for  from  the  winter's 
receipts;"  and  "the  game  of  chess  discouraged  among  the 
students." 

One  of  the  most  noticeable  features  of  the  annual  reports 
of  President  Zollars  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  is  the  empha- 
sis which  he  places  on  the  enlargement  and  strengthening 
of  the  Courses  of  Study.    When  he  came  to  Hiram  in  1888 
there     were     three     distinctly     marked 
Courses  leading  to  degrees,  viz.;     Class- 
Courses  of  Study     j(,^|^  Philosophical,  and  Scientific.     Pro- 
in  Hiram  College,    yjsjons,  however,  had  been  partially  made 
for  a  Biblical  or  Ministerial  Course  but 
this  movement  was  not  strong.     During  the  first  year  the 
great  eflfort  was  to  strengthen  this  course.     During  the  sec- 
ond year  besides  these  four  courses,  all  of  them  strong,  other 
courses  were  maintained :  A  Normal  Course,  a  Commercial 
Course,    a   two-years'   English   Ministerial   Course,   and   a 


384  APPENDIX. 

four-years'  Ministerial  Course.  In  1891  two  four-years' 
Courses,  one  purely  literary  and  one  ministerial  in  character 
were  arranged  with  a  view  to  meet  the  wants  of  many  stu- 
dents who  came  to  Hiram  well  advanced  in  years  but  with 
little  more  education  than  that  afforded  by  private  study  or 
the  common  country  schools.  In  amount  of  work  these 
courses  are  about  two  years  shorter  than  the  long  course. 
These  courses  have  been  quite  popular  and  yet  have  not  had 
the  tendency  feared  by  some  of  weakening  the  longer 
courses.  It  was  found  by  experience  that  only  in  rare  cases 
did  a  student  change  from  the  long  course  to  the  short  one, 
but  cases  were  quite  frequent  where  students  changed  from 
the  short  course  to  the  long  one.  In  recent  years  the  changes 
in  the  curricula  of  studies  leading  to  graduation  and  college 
degrees  have  been  many.  The  policy  of  granting  elective 
studies  has  grown  in  favor,  both  with  college  authorities  and 
with  students.  This  is  true  of  the  oldest  institutions  in  the 
Nation  as  well  as  of  those  of  later  origin.  President  Zollars 
and  his  Faculty  have  been  in  entire  harmony  in  regard  to 
these  various  changes.  The  result  has  been  that  the  Prepar- 
atory Department  has  been  increased  in  length  one  year, 
making  three  years  of  preparatory  work  instead  of  two  as 
before.  The  added  studies  in  the  Preparatory  Department 
and  to  the  College  courses  require  seventy  one  term  studies 
for  graduation  in  the  long  couises  as  against  fifty- four  one 
term  studies  before  1888. 

At  present  there  are  twelve  clearly  defined  courses,  lead- 
ing to  degrees,  viz. :  Four  Classical,  four  Scientific,  and  four 
Literary  of  equal  length.  Besides  these  the  special  courses. 
Oratory,  Music,  Commercial,  Teachers,  English  Ministerial 
and  three  post  graduate  courses  of  a  year  resident  work  for 
which  no  degrees  are  granted.  Nearly  twice  as  many  studies 
are  now  taught  in  the  College  as  were  taught  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  administration,  and  the  Faculty  has  been  doubled 
in  numbers  and  increased  in  efficiency.  In  the  variety  and 
strength  of  the  work  offered  Hiram  College  holds  a  high 
rank  among  the  colleges  of  the  State  and  Nation. 

Historically  the  Master's  degree  is  the  first  of  the  de- 
grees in  the  liberal  arts.  In  the  earlier  days  of  Oxford  Uni- 
versity in  the  twelfth  century  and  Cambridge  in  the  thir- 


APPENDIX.  385 

teenth  century  "3.  degree  was  a  license  to 
College  Degrees,      teach.     It  carried  with  it  the  jus  docendi. 

Master,  Doctor  and  Professor  were  at 
first  interchangeable  words  designating  one  who  had  re- 
ceived a  license.  The  Bachelor  was  a  student  and  apprentice. 
He  could  teach  under  the  direction  of  a  Master  but  not  in- 
dependently. Still  he  had  taken  a  step  (graduni)  towards 
the  mastership  or  doctorate  and  so  may  be  said  to  have 
obtained  a  degree,  or  been  graduated."  In  Universities  like 
Oxford  and  Cambridge  in  England,  and  in  Italy  and  France, 
the  teachers  who  constituted  the  faculty  of  each  of  these 
universities  were  granted  by  the  pope  or  the  monarch  the 
privilege  of  teaching,  and  this  developed  into  the  right  to 
grant  licenses  to  teach,  or  confer  degrees. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Western 
Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  was  quite  largely  attended  and 
its  essential  action  most  carefully  recorded.  The  following 
is  the  record :  At  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders  of  the  West- 
ern Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  held  in 
"^^^  ^o/\h^^^''"^  Hiram,  November  24,  1851,  pursuant  to 
Stockholders.  previous  notice,  Alvah  Udall  was  appoint- 
ed President  and  Lyman  W.  Trask,  Sec- 
retary. It  appearing  that  the  sum  of  seven  thousand  dollars 
has  been  raised,  therefore  Resolved,  That  we  proceed  to  the 
election  of  a  new  Board  of  Trustees,  according  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  charter.  Whereupon  Isaac  Errett  and  Sy- 
monds  Ryder  were  appointed  tellers,  and  the  stockholders 
present  proceeded  to  vote  by  ballot  for  the  new  Board  of 
Trustees.  After  the  ballot  the  tellers  reported  "that  the  fol- 
lowing is  the  result  of  the  election  for  Trustees  of  the  West- 
ern Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,  held  on  this  day  November 
24,  185 1,  viz. :  For  three  years,  Carnot  Mason,*  Symonds  Ry- 
der, Isaac  Errett,  William  Hayden,  59  votes.  For  t7uo  years 
Zeb  Rudolph, Frederick  Williams,  Aaron  Davis,  J.  H.  Jones, 
59  votes,  except  J.  FI.  Jones,  who  received  57  votes.  For 
one  year,  J.  A.  Ford,  William  Richards,  George  King,  A.  L. 


♦Carnot  Mason  received  only  58  votes,  manifestly  not  voting  for 
himself. 


3S6  APPENDIX. 

Soule,  59  votes.  Whole  number  of  votes,  59.  Signed  Isaac 
Errett  and  Symonds  Ryder,  Tellers.  Resolved),  That  the 
tellers'  report  be  adopted,  and  that  Carnot  Mason,  Symonds 
Ryder,  Isaac  Errett,  William  Hayden,  Zeb  Rudolph,  Freder- 
ick Williams,  Aaron  Davis,  J.  H.  Jones,  J.  A.  Ford,  William 
Richards,  George  King,  and  A.  L,  Soule  are  elected  Trustees 
of  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute  for  the  term  men- 
tioned in  that  report.  Whereupon  the  meeting  adjourned. 
Lyman  W.  Trask,  Secretary. 

At  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  extension  to  the 
old  college  building  June   17,  1886,  the  following  articles 
were  placed  in  it :  Swiss  and  American  coins  of  recent  date ; 
Proceedings  of  the  Reunion  of  1880  and  the  Centennial  His- 
tory of  the  College  by  B.  A.  Hinsdale ; 
.  Histories  of  the  Literary  Societies ;  Pro- 

Placed  in  the  grams  of  recent  Commencements  and 
Corner-stone.  Catalogues  of  the  College  for  1883-4-5-6; 
Report  of  Ohio  Meteorological  Bureau ; 
one  copy  each  of  the  "Saturday  Item,"  Garrettsville  Journal, 
Beaman's  Bugle,  Democratic  Press,  Cleveland  Leader, 
Cleveland  Plain  Dealer,  Hiram  College  Student,  Cleveland 
Herald  containing  President  Flinsdale's  Baccalaureate  of 
1880,  New  York  Tribune,  Christian  Standard,  Chagrin  Falls 
Exponent,  the  Detroit  Plain  dealer,  Republican-Democrat, 
the  Epitome ;  Harper's  Weekly ;  a  glass  plate  having  a  brief 
history  of  the  building  etched  upon  it ;  an  M.  T.  badge ;  a 
copy  of  "The  Disciple;"  a  picture  of  the  new  building;  a 
piece  of  Colonial  money ;  Penny  Press ;  a  Greek  newspaper ; 
a  photograph  of  James  A.  Garfield ;  and  a  copy  of  the  Holy 
Bible. 


Of  the  student  body  of  the  Eclectic  In- 
Eminent  stitute  from  1850  to  1867  who  have  risen 
Representatives      ^c>  eminence  since  in  law,  business,  the  gos- 
of  the              P^l  ministry,  statesmanship,  military  life, 
Eclectic  Period.      ^""^  above  all  in  noble  manhood  and  wo- 
manhood, the  following  names  are  among 
the  most  noticeable  and  representative: 


APPENDIX.  3S7 

LucRETiA  Rudolph  Garfield,  one  of 
1850.  the  "first  ladies  of  the  land,"  and  a  woman 

of  exalted  character ;  William  B.  Hazen, 
,gg.  scholar  and  brave    soldier;  Henry  Clay 

White,  upright  judge  and  distinguished 
citizen ;  Orris  C.  Atwater,  and  John  M.  Atwater,  preachers 
and  educators  of  wide  distinction ;  John  Encell,  preacher 
and  legislator;  James  A.  Garfield,  facile  princeps 
as  man,  citizen,  statesman,  President;  Corydon  E. 
Fuller,  author,  editor,  and  business  man; 
1852.  the    Haydens,  W.  L.  and    many    others, 

preachers  and  authors ;  Henry  O.  New- 
comb,  preacher,  professor  and  lawyer ;  A.  E.  Rood,  business 
man ;  J,  Carroll  Stark,  preacher ;   Simon  Perkins  Wolcott, 
lawyer  and  legislator;  Chauncey  F.  Black, 
lawyer  and   Governor  of   Pennsylvania; 
William  Dowling,  preacher ;  Henry  M.  James,  educator ;  Jo- 
seph King,  preacher  of  wide  experience ;  Leonard  South- 
mayd,  preacher ;  Jennie  Gardner  Encell  Mary  Turner  Hins- 
^QC4  dale;   Hiram    S.   Chamberlain,  business; 

William  H.  Clapp,  military ;  L.  L.  Camp- 
bell, teacher ;  C.  P.  Evans,  preacher ;  Chas.  C.  Foote, 
preacher ;  Robert  Moffett,  distinguished  preacher  and  mis- 
sionary secretary ;  A.  H.  Pettibone,  member  of  Congress ; 
Joseph  Rudolph,  farmer  and  business;  Freeman  E.  Udall, 
business ;  Wealthy  A.  L.  Hayden ;  Perlea  Moore  Derthick ; 
-g„  Charles  P.  Bowler,  soldier ;  Plarrison  S. 

Glazier, preacher;  John  B.  McCleery, chap- 
lain in  regular  army ;  Herman  L.  Morgan,  business ;  Edwin 
H.  Rogers,  preacher;  L.  D.  Woodworth,  lawyer  and  mem- 
1856  ^^^  °^  Congress ;  Rufus  E.  Bclding,  phy- 

sician ;  H.  D.  Carlton,    preacher ;    E.  A, 
Ford,  railroad ;    Roldon  Hinsdale,  farmer    and    legislator ; 
Frank  H.  Mason,  U.  S.  Consul;  Wallace  Coburn,  soldier; 
jgjY  Richard  S.  Groves,  preacher ;  Hiram  H. 

Mack,  teacher  and  legislator;  Rufus  H. 
Moss,  preacher ;  Marion  F.  Pratt,  business ;  Hiram  Woods, 
1858.  preacher;  Mary  L.  Root,  teacher;  Amzi 

Atwater,    preacher    and    teacher;    Clark 


3S8  Al'PEN'DlX. 

Braden,  preacher  and  controversialist;  W.  O.  Beebe,  busi- 
,„_  ness;  W.  H.  H.  Flick,  lawyer  and  judge; 

O.   C.   Hill,   teacher  and   author ;   C.    C. 
Smith,  preacher  and  missionary  secretary;  F.  A.  Williams, 
^  soldier  ;  Henry  N.  Allen,  preacher ;  Myron 

S.  Clark,  physician;  P.  H.  Dudley,  busi- 
ness ;  Jasper  S.  Ross,  preacher ;  Grove  E.  Barber,  educator ; 
1861  ^"  ^^  •  C^^^^'  lawyer  and  judge  ;  J.  L.  Dar- 

sie,  preacher ;  O.  A.  Richards,  preacher ; 
A.  A.  Amidon,  lawyer;  E.  S.  Hart,  preacher;  E.  L.  Lemert, 
I8fi9  business;  J.  M.  i\Ionroe,  preacher;    An- 

drew Squire,  lawyer;  E.  S.  Woodworth, 
farmer  and  legislator ;  Sutton  E.  Young,  lawyer  and  legis- 
lator ;  E.  A.  Bosworth,  preacher ;  W.  H.  Rogers,  preacher ; 
^Q»q  J.    C.    Cannon,    preacher;    Howard    A. 

Treudley,  business ;  Morgan  P.  Hayden, 
preacher;  B.  H.  Hayden,  preacher;  Wilbert  B.  Hinsdale, 
^Q^,  physician ;  O.  C.  Hubbell,  teacher ;  Virgil 

P.    Kline,    lawyer;  Webster    O.  Moore, 
preacher  and  writer;  D.  L.  Rockwell,  lawyer;  E.  B.  Wake- 
field, preacher  and  educator ;  B.  S.  Dean,  preacher  and  edu- 
cator; W.  H.  Crafts,  business  man  and 
1865.  legislator ;  J.  P.  Teeple.  business ;  A.  J. 

Laughlin,  preacher ;  O.  Q.  Oviatt,  preach- 
er ;  S.  M.  Cook,  physician ;  Fred  Treud- 
1867.  ^^y>  educator;  J.  M.  Van  Horn,  preacher; 

and  Frank  L.  Gilson,  lawyer  and  judge. 

F.  M.  Green  was  born  in  Norton,  Summit  County,  Ohio, 
September  28,  1836. 

His  father.  Philander  Green,  for  57  years  in  the  min- 
istry, died  April  18,1900.     His  uncle,  Almon  B.  Green,  one 
of  the  founders    of    Hiram    College,    a 
F.M.Green         preacher   for   55   vears,   died  March   31. 
msllfe^.  1886.     From  childhood   to  manhood  his 

main  field  of  labor  was  the  farm.  Until 
1853  his  school  life  was  in  the  district  schools,  and  Granger 
Academy,  in  Summit  and  Medina  Counties. 

November,  1853,  he  entered  the  Western  Reserve  Ec- 
lectic Institute  at  Hiram,  O.,  as  a  student  and  remained  with 
some  irregularity  until  i860. 


APPENDIX.  369 

From  1855  to  1863  he  taught  in  the  district  schools  of 
Summit  and  Medina  counties  and  in  the  Academies  at  Gran- 
ger, O.,  and  Lordstown,  O. 

March  11,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Ellen  E.  Stow,  who 
■was  a  student  in  Hiram  in  1851. 

In  1863  he  entered  the  Gospel  ministry  among  the  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ  and  in  which  service  he  still  continues. 

September  9,  1852,  he  was  baptized  by  Dr.  Warren  A. 
Belding,  one  of  the  founders  of  Hiram  College. 

During  his  long  ministry  he  has  been  pastor  and  preach- 
er for  churches  in  Cleveland,  Toledo,  Akron,  Wilmington^ 
and  Kent,  in  Ohio,  and  Duluth  in  Minnesota. 

From  1867  to  1870  he  was  County  School  Examiner 
for  Mahoning  County,  Ohio. 

From  1870  to  1878,  State  and  National  Sunday-School 
Secretary  for  the  Disciples  of  Christ. 

From  1878  to  1882,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
American  Christian  Missionary  Society. 

From  1863  to  1865,  Chaplain  of  the  Northern  Ohio 
Hospital  for  the  Insane. 

From  1867  to  1874,  Associate  Editor  and  regular  cor- 
respondent of  the  "American  Christian  Review,"  edited  by 
Benjamin  Franklin. 

From  1876  to  1887,  Associate  Editor  of  the  "Teacher's 
Mentoi-,"  and  "Biljle  School,"  published  by  the  Standard 
Publishing  Company. 

From  1866  to  1888,  regular  correspondent  for  the 
"Christian  Standard,"  Isaac  Errett,  editor,  and  in  1882  As- 
sociate Editor. 

From  1863  to  1901,  for  25  years  of  that  time  Corre- 
sponding Secretary  of  the  Ministerial  Association  of  the 
Disciples  of  Christ  in  Eastern  Ohio. 

As  author,  he  issued  "The  Standard  Manual,"  for  Sun- 
day-school workers,  in  1878;  "A  Royal  Life,"  a  story  of 
Garfield,  in  1882;  "Christian  Ministers'  Manual,"  in  1883; 
"Christian  Missions  and  Historical  Sketches,"  in  1884; 
"Life  and  Times  of  John  F.  Rowe,"  in  1898;  "History  of 
Hiram  College,"  1901. 

Since  he  entered  the  ministry  in  1863  he  has  delivered 
of  sermons  and  other  addresses  7,203. 


390  APPENDIX. 

Of  academic  degrees  he  has  received  from  Hiram  Col- 
lege, A.  AI. ;  Bethany  College,  M.  L. ;  Drake  University, 
LL.  D. 

From  1889  to  1901,  Trustee  of  Hiram  College. 

In  1886  and  1887,  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  State  of  Ohio. 

In  1896,  first  vice-president  of  Ohio  State  Conference 
of  Charities  and  Correction. 

In  1901,  preacher  for  church  in  Stow,  O. 

Air.  J.  M.  Atvvater  in  a  unique  way  has  given  the  rela- 
tive position  of  those  places  which  are  most  prominently 
connected  with  Garfield's  life  in  Ohio.  He  borrowed  the 
method  from  Victor  Hugo,  who  in  his  famous  account  of 

the  battle  of  Waterloo.,  describes  the  field 

The  Capital  A  and    of  the  battle  with  its  roads  as  shaped  like 

^^'^llffe.'^^'"       the  capital  letter  A.     His  description  of 

that  battlefield  is  perhaps  the  clearest  and 
best  ever  given.  Mr.  Atwater  says :  On  the  map  of  Ohio, 
from  Cleveland  east  and  southeast,  let  the  reader  imagine 
a  gigantic  capital  A — the  top  of  the  letter  at  Hiram,  the  right 
foot  at  Cleveland,  and  the  left  at  Mentor.  The  base  of  the 
letter  is  thus  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  and  the  letter 
itself  points  to  the  southeast.  The  cross-bar  starts  a  little 
north  of  Solon  station  on  the  Erie  railroad  and  runs  north- 
east to  Chester  and  a  little  beyond.  The  right  bar  of  the  A 
is  a  little  more,  and  the  left  bar  a  little  less  than  thirty 
miles  long.  From  foot  to  foot  of  the  letter  is  a  little  more 
than  twenty  miles,  and  the  length  of  the  cross-bar  about 
twelve.  On  this  letter  A  can  be  arranged  and  kept  clear  in 
the  mind  all  of  Garfield's  home  life,  except  that  which  was 
spent  in  Washington.  Along  the  line  of  the  cross-bar  are 
all  the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  and  most  of  those  of  his 
youth  and  early  manhood.  A  little  north  of  the  point  where 
the  cross-bar  joins  the  right  side  of  the  letter  is  the  spot 
where  he  was  born,  the  home  of  his  boyhood,  in  Orange,  33^ 
miles  north  of  Solon.  From  this  point  down  the  right  side 
of  the  A  to  the  foot  at  Cleveland,  he  went  at  sixteen  to  be  a 
sailor  on  the  lake,  or,  as  it  turned  out  to  be,  a  driver  on  the 
canal.     Along  the  cross-bar  ten  miles  to  the  northeast  he 


APPENDIX.  391 

went  to  Chester,  his  first  schooling  away  from  home.  Two 
miles  south  of  his  home,  at  the  junction  of  the  cross-bar 
with  the  right  side  of  the  letter,  is  the  Ledge,  where  at 
eighteen  he  taught  his  first  school.  Close  by  is  Bentleyville, 
where  he  attended  meeting,  and  the  little  stream  in  which, 
March  4,  1850,  he  was  baptized.  Hiram,  at  the  top  of  the 
A,  is  the  school  where  he  prepared  for  college,  and  took 
half  his  college  course,  and  where  he  afterwards  did  his 
grand  work  of  teaching.  Mentor,  at  the  left  foot,  was  his 
later  home,  the  Mecca  for  the  throngs  of  pilgrims  in  his 
Presidential  campaign,  and  is  the  permanent  home  of  his 
family.  Cleveland,  at  the  right  foot,  was  the  place  of  his 
funeral,  and  is  the  place  of  his  tomb  and  of  the  Garfield 
monument.  All  along  the  right  bar  of  the  letter  are  the 
churches  to  which  he  preached  most  frequently,  and  in  sev- 
eral cases  regularly,  Hiram,  Mantua,  Aurora,  Solon,  Bed- 
ford, Newburgh,  and  Cleveland. 

Mr.  James  G.  Coleman,  of  Chagrin  Falls,  who  repre- 
sented the  church  at  Munson  at  the  meeting  in  Aurora 
November  7,  1849,  which  gave  the  final  decision  where  the 
school  should  be  located,  and  who  presided  over  that  meet- 
ing when  the  decisive  vote  was  taken, 
A  Reminiscence  says :  "There  were  31  churches  repre- 
bj  J.  G.  Coleman,  sented  by  31  delegates;  that  the  weather 
was  pleasant  and  he  went  to  the  meeting 
on  horseback ;  that  Dr.  J.  P.  Robison  presided  until  the  vote 
rejecting  Bedford  was  taken,  when  he  withdrew  and  J.  G. 
Coleman  presided ;  that  the  feeling  ran  very  high,  and  fool- 
ish things  were  said,  but  we  worked  on  and  succeeded  by 
4  o'clock  p.  m.  and  then  adjourned  to  meet  in  Hiram ;  that 
the  meeting  was  held  in  the  Disciple  church  at  Aurora ; 
and  that  if  Hiram  was  ready  at  any  time  to  give  up  the 
fight  for  the  location,  he  did  not  know  it."  Mr.  Coleman 
also  says:  "My  wife  and  I  lived  in  Hiram  and  attended  the 
Bible  lectures  in  1866  and  1867;  and  now,  in  my  8ist  year, 
much  weaker  in  mind  and  body  than  I  was  then,  I  love  to 
think  of  the  good  and  faithful  ones  with  whom  I  lived  and 
labored  for  Hiram." 


393  appendix. 

Hiram — First  Term. 

Reaching  Hiram  about  dark  the  evening  before  school 
was  to  open,  I  found  a  boarding  place  at  Charles  Ray- 
mond's, a  mile  south  of  the  Center.  Four  of  us  were  to 
occupy  one  room.  Two  of  the  boys,  New  Yorkers,  were 
already  on  hand.  A  fourth  came  later. 
Reminiscence  With  a  table,  stove,  four  chairs,  two  beds 
by  O.  C.  Atwater.  and  four  boys,  the  room  might  be  called 
full.  To  any  one  who  ever  sat  at  the 
Raymond  table  it  need  not  be  said  that  we  fared  well.  For 
room,  board,  fuel  and  lights  we  paid  "ten  shillings"  ("York 
shillings")  —  (all  such  prices  were  reckoned  in  shillings  in 
those  days) — a  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  a  week.  Those 
who  had  washing  done — no  laundries  in  small  places  then — 
paid  "sixpence,"  six  and  a  fourth  cents  more. 

The  next  morning  I  went  up  early  to  see  the  building. 
Found  "Uncle  Zeb"  hurrying  to  finish  putting  down  chairs 
and  desks.  As  he  had  an  extra  screw  driver,  I  was  soon 
hard  at  work.  The  last  ones  were  in  place  before  the  hour 
of  assembling — perhaps  lo  o'clock. 

The  opening  exercises  were  held  in  "the  meeting  house" 
(church  was  not  commonly  used  by  our  people  on  the  Re- 
serve then), — this  was  not  the  brick  church  burned  a  few 
years  since,  but  a  frame  building  which  occupied  the  same 
site  and  was  burned  some  forty  years  ago.  The  stand,  a 
high,  small  stand  at  the  north  end  of  the  house  between  the 
front  doors,  was  occupied  by  four  persons — A.  S.  Hayden, 
the  Principal,  (commonly  called  Sutton  Hayden)  ;  Symonds 
Ryder,  the  patriarch  of  Hiram;  Amzi  Atwater  (better 
known  to  all  old  Portage  County  residents  as  "Judge  At- 
water"), and  a  fourth  person,  perhaps  William  Hayden, 
possibly  Isaac  Errett.     Do  not  recall  the  exercises. 

The  grounds  were  an  old  cornfield,  partly  surrounded 
by  a  rail  fence  and  with  the  hills  left  from  the  last  crop  not 
even  smoothed  down,  and  without  a  tree,  save  a  few  old 
apple  trees  in  the  northeast  corner.  It  may  be  that  the 
outer  row  of  trees  along  the  center  road  that  was  and  the 
other  streets  that  were  to  be,  had  been  planted,  but  if  so, 
they  were  quite  insignificant.     There  was  not  a  single  dwell- 


APPENDIX. 


39- 


ing  around  the  campus  on  any  side.  The  only  building 
nearer  than  "the  meeting  house"  was  the  Methodist  church, 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A,  building.  "The 
district  school''  was  kept  in  "the  stone  jug,"  a  low,  square, 
stone  building  just  east  of  "the  meeting  house."  There 
were  four  or  five  houses  to  the  west  of  the  corner  and  near 
at  hand ;  and  one  house  to  the  east,  the  Edwards  house,  so 
well  known  to  generations  of  Hiram  students  as  the  Reno 
place,  one  to  the  south,  two  to  the  north,  and  four  or 
five  to  the  west  within  half  a  mile.  These  last  are  in  addi- 
tion to  the  few  already  mentioned  as  near  the  Center  cor- 
ners. 

A  few  students  found  quarters  in  the  basement  of  the 
building.  Bro.  Hayden  (he  was  only  occasionally  called 
Principal,  very  rarely  indeed  President  Hayden),  with  his 
family,  and  possibly  a  boarder  or  two,  occupied  the  south 
wing  of  the  basement,  some  three  rooms.  The  remainder  of 
the  students,  besides  those  in  the  basement  and  in  the  few 
houses  near  "the  Center,"  had  to  be  stowed  away  as  best 
ihey  could  be  in  farmhouses  for  a  mile  or  more  round 
about.  Favorite  boarding  places  were  the  Packer  place  to 
the  north ;  George  and  "Squire"  Udall's,  to  the  east,  and 
Charles  Raymond's,  a  mile  south.  Zeb  Rudolph,  "Uncle 
Zeb,"  as  he  was  affectionately  called  by  everybody,  lived  in 
the  first  house  west  of  "the  meeting  house  sheds,"  the  house 
so  long  occupied  afterwards  by  Deacon  Young.  His  house 
and  Pelatiah  Allen's  ("Pati  Allen's")  were  crowded  to 
overflowing. 

The  only  store  in  the  place  was  kept  by  N.  C.  Meeker, 
afterwards  Horticultural  Editor  of  The  Nezv  York  Tribune, 
and  later  murdered  by  the  Indians  while  serving  the  U.  S. 
(Government  as  Indian  Agent.     His  store  was  kept  in  the 

little  black   (or  brown)   house  west  of  Young's, 

since  the  home  of  Mrs.  Deihl.  There  the  ambitious  youth 
could  invest  in  slates  and  slate  pencils,  sticks  of  candy, 
foolscap,  matches,  stearinc  candles,  japanned  candlesticks, 
and  the  indispensable  snuffers.  The  days  of  camphcne  had 
not  yet  come.  And  as  for  coal  oil  and  electric  lights,  they 
Vv'cre  still  further  away  in  the  unknown  future. 

The  post  office  was  kept  by  Yoimg  In  tiic 


394  APPENDIX. 

kitchen  of  his  old  farmhouse.  This  house  occupied  the 
corner  where  Clinton  Young's  house  now  stands.  The  mail 
came  after  dark  on  those  winter  nights  and  was  often  late. 
Waiting  in  the  long,  dimly-lighted  kitchen  (one  candle  does 
not  make  a  very  brilliant  illumination)  was  trying  to  the 
students  and  to  Mrs.  Young  as  well. 

Ravenna,  fourteen  miles  away,  was  the  nearest  railroad 
point.  But  to  most  of  the  students  this  was  a  very  small 
matter,  as  indeed  such  inconveniences  were  to  most  people 
west  of  the  Alleghenies.  The  only  railroads  in  that  part  of 
Ohio  were  the  original  Cleveland  &  Pittsburg  Railroad  and 
the  Lake  Shore  Railroad.  Men  were  toiling  across  the 
plains  and  over  the  Rockies  to  California,  the  land  of  gold, 
on  foot  and  with  ox  teams.  Years  were  yet  to  pass  before 
the  famous  "Pony  Express,"  harbinger  of  our  great  western 
railroad  lines,  should  win  its  amazing  triumphs. 

The  school  opened  in  November  with  three  teachers — 
A.  S.  Hayden,  principal ;  Thomas  Munnell,  assistant,  and 
Mrs.  Phoebe  M.  Drake,  teacher  of  the  primary  department. 
The  primary  occupied  the  south  wing  below.  Nearly  all  the 
other  students  sat  in  the  chapel  all  day,  passing  into  the 
north  wing  as  recitations  demanded.  Only  a  few  had  rooms 
near  enough  to  study  in  during  recitation  hours.  The 
chapel  was  the  large  room  below.  It  was  fur- 
nished with  common  wood-bottomed  chairs  and  three- 
legged,  cherry  desks ;  a  very  good  pattern  for  those 
times.  Both  desks  and  chairs  were  firmly  screwed 
to  the  floor  by  the  aid  of  small  iron  plates.  Modern  school 
furniture  had  not  yet  been  invented.  The  ladies  had  the 
south  side  of  the  room,  the  gentlemen  the  north.  The  whole 
upper  story  of  the  building  was  unfinished  lumber  rooms. 

The  school  was  a  rather  large  "Select  School,"  with  a 
primary  department  attached.  Its  patronage  was  more  ex- 
tended than  "Select  Schools"  commonly  enjoyed — New 
York  furnishing  several  pupils  and  Canada  at  least  one. 
Few  were  planning  for  college.  Am  not  certain  that  there 
was  even  one  looking  to  such  a  course.  The  only  class  I 
can  distinctly  recall  was  a  class  in  geometry  with  four  mem- 
bers— Benjamin  J.  Hershey,  John  W.  Horner,  William  B. 
Hazen,  and  Orris  Clapp  Atwater.     It  was  a  rather  even 


APPENDIX.  395 

class,  so  far  as  that  study  was  concerned.  No  advance 
echoes  of  the  guns  of  Fort  McAlister  foretold  Hazen's  dis- 
tinction. 

There  were  no  literary  societies.  Probably  most  of  the 
students  had  never  heard  of  such  things.  Indeed  there  were 
no  societies  of  any  kind.  There  was  some  literary 
work  and  there  were  "public  exercises"  at  the  close  of  the 
term,  but  no  literary  enthusiasm.  Literary  interest  had  its 
real  beginning  early  in  the  second  year  under  the  lead  of 
Corydon  E.  Fuller,  Garfield,  and  others.  I  put  Fuller  first 
for  probably  the  original  impulse  was  due  to  him.  Garfield 
was  only  twenty,  while  Fuller  was  apparently  much  older 
and  more  experienced. 

The  behavior  of  the  students  was  exceptionally  good. 
Do  not  recall  a  single  case  of  discipline  or  of  public  reproof. 

Small  as  our  company  was  and  unnoticed  by  the  busy 
world,  it  contained  one  future  major-general  of  the  coming 
Civil  War,  and  the  prospective  wife  of  another,  who  was 
also  to  be  "Mistress  of  the  White  House"  and  "First  Lady 
of  the  Land."  But  there  were  no  halos  around  their  heads 
and  nothing  disturbed  our  perfect  democratic  equality. 

.  .  For  forty-six  years  Alanson  Wilcox 

Reminiscences         .         ,  ,     •'.,.        ■'  ..     -rj.  ,   . 

by  Alanson  Wilcox    "^^  \)^tn  familiar  With  Hiram  and  is  an 
honorable  part  of  its  history.     The  fol- 
lowing are  among  the  many  of  his  bright  reminiscences : 

I  first  came  to  Hiram  in  June,  1855,  the  day  after 
Commencement.    Living  in  Medina  county,  thirty-five  miles 

west  of  Hiram,  I  had  been  misinformed 
First  Coming         ^g  ^^  ^j^^  ^^y^  ^f  |.}-,^^.  ^^^^  ^  j  j^^^^ 

to   Hiram.  .\.      v  .  ■  •  j  1  . 

the  distance  in  a  carriage  and  arranged  to 

attend  the  Institution  the  next  year.    There  were  giants  in 

those  days.     Symonds  Ryder  was  Bishop  of  the  church  and 

usually  conducted  the  services.    Perhaps  the  previous  winter 

Isaac  Errett  held  a  meeting  of  days.   Mr. 

Isaac  Errett's        Ryder  was    anxious    to    have    his    son, 

Great  Meeting.        „  -'  ^  •    i.     ^i        1         1        t-u 

Symonds,  Jr..  come  into  the  church.     Ihe 

meeting  had  continued  two  weeks,  with  several  additions  in 
the  first  few  days,  but  the  last  week  no  responses  came  to 
the  gospel  invitation.    They  decided  to  close  the  meeting. 


396  APPENDIX. 

iVlr.  Errett  preached  a  sermon  ending  with  an  apostrophe 
to  God,  telhng  Him  what  he  had  done  for  the  salvation  of 
the  people,  and  threw  the  responsibility  on  to  the  sinner  to 
decide  the  mighty  question  of  life  or  death.  In  the  old 
meeting-house  at  Hiram  was  a  double  platform — one  ele- 
vated for  the  preacher  and  a  lower  one  for  the  elders.  Mr. 
Errett,  not  expecting  any  to  come  forward  for  confession, 
did  not  leave  the  pulpit ;  Mr.  Ryder  was  on  the  lower  plat- 
form. The  congregation  rose  to  sing  and,  lo !  many  persons 
came  from  all  parts  of  the  house  to  confess  their  sins  and 
the  Christ.  Some  climbed  over  the  seats  in  their  anxiety  to 
reach  the  platform.  The  singers  were  choked  with  emotion 
and  could  not  sing,  and  there  was  weeping  for  joy  in  all 
parts  of  the  house.  Among  those  who  responded  to  the 
gospel  invitation  was  Symonds  Ryder,  Jr.  In  the  excite- 
ment Bishop  Ryder  turned  to  Mr.  Errett  and,  drawing  both 
hands  down  over  his  face,  his  eyes  streaming  with  tears, 
cried  out :  "Brother  Errett,  there  is  too  much  excitement 
here,"  and  he  was  the  most  excited  of  them  all. 

I  remember  one  time  Mr.  Ryder  preached  a  sermon  on 
"Breaking  Steers,"  and  at  another  time  on  the  "Holy  Kiss," 

and  when  Zeb  Rudolph's  boarders  went 
Bishop  Ryder's       home  they  continued  the  discussion,  and 

W.  H.  Prehm,  from  Illinois,  suggested 
that  the  immediate  application  of  the  subject  would  be  pleas- 
ant and  stepped  to  one  of  Mr.  Rudolph's  daughters,  and 
they  both  vigorously  responded  in  giving  the  "Holy  Kiss." 
The  first  time  I  saw  James  A.  Garfield  was  in  the  as- 
sembly room  of  the  old  meeting-house.     He  was  visiting 

Hiram  from  Williams  College.     He  was 
^' r*  fi^k/  pointed  out  to  me  while  the  congregation 

was  standing  and  singing.  Mr.  Garfield 
stood  erect,  his  head  leaning  back  and  his  face  turned  to 
heaven,  and  with  great  emphasis  he  joined  with  the  others 
in  singing — 

"How  firm  a  foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord, 
Is  laid  for  your  faith  in  his  excellent  word." 

Teacher  Garfield   was   full  of  resources  and   did  not 
always  confine  the  class  to  the  text-book.     He  utilized  the 


APPENDIX.  397 

things  that  were  occurring  to  illustrate  a 
'^^c  "^fiTd   ^        subject  or  a  lesson.     One  day  when  he 

was  hearing  a  class  in  Karnes'  Elements 
of  Criticism,  the  stove-pipe  came  out  of  the  chimney,  and, 
while  the  janitor  was  putting  it  back  into  place,  Mr.  Garfield 
asked  members  of  the  class  to  express  that  act  in  various 
phrases.  One  said  "put  it  in;"  others,  "crowd  it  in,"  "shove 
it  in,"  "place  it  in,"  "adjust  the  pipe  in  its  place,"  "cram  it 
in,"  "drive  it  in,"  "place  it  back,"  and  "cautiously  proceed  to 
place  the  pipe  in  its  original  position."  In  this  way  he  added 
zest  to  the  recitation  and  cultivated  the  discriminating  pow- 
ers and  tastes  of  the  members  of  the  class. 

Harvey  W.  Everest  boarded  at  Zeb  Rudolph's.  His 
lady-love  was  Miss  Sarah  Harrison,  and  she  boarded  at 
C.  L.  P.  Reno's.    Being  both  student  and  teacher,  he  could 

call  on  his  sweetheart  often.  While  his 
What  Happened  visits  were  above  criticism,  when  he  re- 
to  H.W.  Everest,     turned  to  the  Rudolph  mansion  he  tried 

not  to  disturb  the  household  and  guests  ; 
and  would  take  off  his  shoes  and  ascend  the  stairs  in  stock- 
ing feet,  noiseless  as  a  cat  after  a  mouse,  to  his  sleeping 
apartment.  The  young  American  boarders  had  their  funny 
natures  stirred  by  this  stealthy  midnight  coming;  and  so 
one  night  they  got  together  all  the  tinware  of  the  household 
and  fastened  it  together  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  and  so 
connected  it  with  a  card,  which  was  fastened  to  the  door, 
that  when  it  was  opened  the  whole  kit  of  tinware  would, 
like  an  avalanche,  tumble  down  stairs,  making  noise  enough 
to  wake  every  sleeper  in  the  house.  And  so,  though  the 
course  of  true  love  ran  smoothly,  the  way  up  stairs  was 
obstructed  and  the  sparking  hero  was  ushered  to  his  apart- 
ments with  noise  of  many  tin  pans  and  amid  the  suppressed 
laughter  of  the  household. 

Once  upon  a  time  I  sang  in  the  Glee  Club,  and  in  one 
public  entertainment   I   whistled  the   solo,   "Listen   to   the 

Mocking  Bird."     I  went  out  preaching  a 

Mr.  Wilcox  as  a      ^^^  times,  and  the  first  dollar  I  received 

and^Preacher.       ^o^"    preaching    was    from    the    Mantua 

church,  and  with  that  I  bought  "The 
Christian  System."    One  day  I  had  to  write  an  essay,  and 


39^  APPENDIX. 

going  to  my  boarding  house  at  Mr.  Rudolph's,  I  found  them 
at  the  annual  autumnal  slaughter  of  swine,  and  I  wrote  a 
poem  on  "Killing  Pigs." 

Being  a  member  of  the  Delphic  Society,  they  sent  me 

to  Cleveland  to  select  and  purchase  some  kind  of  metal 

badge  for  the  officers  and  members.     No 

'^^Badges^'^         one  in  the  society  knew  what  was  wanted 

for  the  emblem.     I  visited  watchmakers 

and  hardware  stores  and  finally  decided  to  take  the  society 

some  silver  stars  and  other  ornaments  used  on  horse  bridles. 

I  was  as  proud  of  my  purchase  as  was  Bellerophon  when 

he  carried  the  beautiful  and  ornamented  bridle  to  catch  the 

flying  horse  Pegasus.     Henry  M.  James  was  a  committee 

to  take  them  back. 

In  those  days  the  stream  east  of  Hiram  was  larger  than 
it  is  now,  and  a  dam  had  been  placed  in  it  half  way  between 
the  bridge  and  sugar  camp.  One  Monday 
E^'^^Tn^"^  the  gentlemen  students  were  going  bath- 
ing in  the  dam  and  there  was  an  ambi- 
tious strife  to  see  who  would  get  in  first.  Then  came  the 
race  and  disrobing,  and  I  was  among  the  first  to  dive  into 
the  water.  With  head  under  water  I  swam  across  the  pond. 
That  was  the  only  way  I  could  swim.  Then  I  dove,  and 
was  swimming  under  water  to  the  shore  on  the  opposite 
side,  and,  raising  my  head  above  the  water,  I  found  it  deep 
— over  my  head.  I  could  not  swim  and  down  I  went — 
once — twice — three  times,  and  the  third  time  my  feet  touch- 
ed bottom ;  and  while  all  the  acts  of  my  life  were  passing  in 
my  mind,  I  thought  if  I  could  give  a  spring  with  my  feet  on 
the  bottom  and  rise  up  out  of  the  water  and  call  my  com- 
panions to  help.  I  would  be  saved — and  so  I  did.  They 
formed  a  line  of  hands  and  drew  me  to  the  shore  and  onto 
the  bank  and  rolled  me  over,  and  did  the  best  they  could  to 
relieve  me  of  the  extra  dose  of  Adam's  ale  which  I  had 
imbibed.  I  was  several  days  in  recovering  from  this  calam- 
ity ;  and  I  think  the  old  lady  was  half  right  at  least  who  told 
her  boy  he  must  not  go  into  the  water  till  he  had  learned 
to  swim. 

I  well  remember  the  picnics  when  the  Hiram  Sunday- 
school  turned  out  with  one,  two  and  four-horse  rigs  and 


APPENDIX. 


399 


went  to  Nelson  Ledges  and  returned  by 

s  ^^''s^'h  Garrettsville.     I  was  selected  as  marshal. 

Picnic.    °        Holland  Brown,  father  of  Jessie  Brown 

Pounds,  furnished  me  with  a  white,  high- 
headed,  galloping  saddle  horse  for  the  occasion.  I  was 
dressed  in  light  colored  clothes  and  wore  a  red  sash.  The 
horse  was  proud  of  himself  and  rider  and  galloped  gaily  up 
and  down  the  line  of  the  procession.  The  next  Sunday  I 
was  to  preach  in  Garrettsville,  and  some  of  the  old  dames 
doubted  whether  such  a  gay  rider  could  be  an  acceptable 
Christian,  and  especially  a  preacher.  But  I  lived  through  it. 
One  year  there  was  a  fad  in  the  Insti- 
Walk  A  d  th  tution  on  walking  for  health ;  and  a  score 
Cemetery  Square.    ^^^  more  of  students  walked  round    the 

Raymond,  Norton,  Cemetery  Square  be- 
fore breakfast.  Charles  P.  Bowler  and  I  performed  this 
feat  several  times. 

J.  H.  Rhodes  had  a  large  class  in  elocution  and  for  deep 
breathing  and  exploding  the  vowel  sounds  the  line  would 

be  formed  on  the  campus  and  the  whole 

J.  H.  Rhodes'        welkin  would  ring  with  a — a — A  up  to 

Class  in  Elocution,    ou — OH — OU.    Some  were   reminded   of 

the  story  Mr.  Garfield  told  about  the  boys 
who  were  learning  the  Greek  alphabet ;  they  rushed  out  of 
the  school  room  shouting,  "Alpha-Beta-Gamma-Delta."  An 
old  lady  passing  along  was  frightened  and  ran  into  a  house, 
declaring  that  the  boys  were  going  to  kill  her.  When  asked 
what  the  boys  did,  she  declared  that  they  ran  out  of  the 
school  house  and  after  her,  exclaiming:  "After  her,"  "beat 
her,"  "catch  her,"  "jam  her,"  "kill  her."  Poor  soul!  She 
mistook  the  alphabetic  names  for  words  of  death. 

The  old  water  ram  that  forced  the  spring  near  "Inde- 
pendence Hall"  to  the  fountain  on  the  campus  has  given 

place  to  the  complete  system    of    water 
Manj  Changes.       works ;  the  tallow  candle  to  the  electric 

light  plant ;  the  old  "stone  jug,"  where  I 
taught  school,  to  the  village  school  house ;  the  old  college 
building  to  the  new :  the  Methodist  church  house  to  the  mag- 
nificent Y.  M.  C.  A.  building ;  and  Dr.  Trask  and  Dr.  Squire 
for  Dr.  Page  and  Dr.  Dyson. 


400  APPENDIX. 

"I  cannot  sing  the  old  songs, 
I  sung  long  years  ago, 
For  heart  and  voice  would  fail  me, 
And  foolish  tears  would  flow ; 
For  by-gone  hours  come  o'er  my  heart 
With  each  familiar  strain. 

"I  cannot  sing  the  old  songs, 
For  visions  come  again 
Of  golden  years  departed, 
And  years  of  weary  pain ; 
Perhaps,  my  earthly  fetters  broken 
And  my  spirit  ever  free, 
My  voice  will  know  the  old  songs 
For  all  eternity." 

Eclectic  Days. 

Long  ways  back,  but  I  was  there,  yes,  in  185 1. 
When  the  erysipelas  epidemic  raged  in  February,  1852, 
I  went  to  Aurora  for  Lucy  Baldwin,  a  young  lady  of  whom 
there  is  kindest  memory,  and  drove  Alan* 
son     Baldwin's     span     of     gray     horses 
Reminiscences       through  a  drifting  snow  storm,  in  bring- 
by  W.  J.  Ford.       jj^g  j^gj.  ^Q  |.}^g  bedside  of  Anna  Hershey, 
at  Mrs.  Drake's.      Anna  died.      The  re« 
mains  were  taken  north  on  a  sleigh,  to  the  Lake  Shore  rail- 
road, thence  to  Williamsville,  N.  Y.     The  anxiety  and  dis- 
tress at  the  time  closed  the  school,  but  the  chapel  was  quite 
full  when  the  closing  hour  came.    The  valedictory  was  set 
over  to  me.     Doubtless  good  as  scores  of  such  since,  but 
none  knew  the  effort  it  cost.     Greatness  is  from  occasion 
and  surroundings,  as  well  as  brains.    Of  the  students  of  that 
year  Garfield  had  been  one,  but  was  away  teaching  during 
the  winter. 

The  following  memoir  of  Miss  Anna  C.  Hershey,  the 

first  student  to  die  at  Hiram,  by  her  sister,  Mrs.  Franc  H. 

Rogers,  of  East  Milton,  Massachusetts,  is 

Anna  C.  Hershey.    a  touching  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one 

of  Hiram's  earliest  and  noblest  students: 


APPENDIX. 


401 


Anna  C.  Hershey  and  her  sister  i\Iarie,  of  Williamsville, 
New  York,  were  students  at  Hiram  in  the  fall  of  1851  and 
the  winter  of  1852.  They  were  daughters  of  the  saintly 
Benjamin  Hershey,  who,  hearing  the  plea  of  the  Disciples 
from  the  lips  of  Porter  Thomas,  John  Henry  and  others, 
renounced  Universalism  and  became  an  elder  in  the  Chris- 
tian church  at  Williamsville.  After  his  death  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Esther  Hershey,  continued  the  training  of  her  children 
in  the  faith  of  their  parents.  Old  established  and  well- 
equipped  denominational  schools  were  close  at  hand ;  but  the 
then  new  school  at  Hiram  was  preferred,  because  it  was  to 
foster  New  Testament  Christianity.  Hiram  was  nearly  two 
hundred  miles  away,  and  could  be  reached  only  by  steamboat 
and  stage.  Anna  was  a  very  healthy  girl,  21  years  old,  but 
in  February  she  took  a  severe  cold,  from  which  she  could 
not  rally,  and  after  a  week  of  intense  suffering,  on  Febru- 
ary 12,  1852,  her  spirit  took  its  flight.  The  next  day  they 
started  with  the  body  in  a  sleigh  to  carry  it  back  to  her 
widowed  mother  in  Williamsville.  Peter  Hershey  and  Clark 
Ransom,  students  from  Erie  county,  also  Miss  Ada  Becket, 
of  Canada,  and  Professor  Norman  Dunshee  accompanied 
the  bereaved  sister  IMarie  on  the  sad  journey.  Thus  ended 
the  career  of  one  of  Hiram's  first  and  one  of  Hiram's  bright- 
est students — a  young  lady  whose  Christian  character  was 
no  less  marked  than  her  mental  endowment. 

In  the  afternoon  of  Commencement 

A  Day,  June  10,  1858,  a  colloquy  formed  a 

Famous  Dramatic     part  of  the  program.     Its  title  was  "Or- 

Entertainment.       sini's  Conspiracy,"  and  the  personae  col- 

loquii  were  : 


Louis  Napoleon, 
Pellissier,  Grand  Marshal, 
BiLLAULT,  Prime  Minister, 
Orsini,  ■^    o 

Pierre, 

RUDIO, 

Dr.   Pironti, 

MONTANO, 

Castello,         J    S" 
Sir  John  Grenvillk, 
Baron  Von  Hamburg, 
Count  Villier, 


H 


E.  A.  Ford 

-       M.  F.  Pratt 

Amzi  Atwater 

H.  C.  White 

B.  II.  Bostwick 

C.  B.  Harris 

S.  Chamberlain 

O.  N.  Ferry 

R.  L.  Chapman 

J.  S.  Dille 

C.  A.  Bennett 

F.  M.  Green 


403  APPENDIX. 

1st  Citizen,                .            .            .            .  .               h.  Woods 

2d  Citizen,            .....  Sutton  Newcomb 

Empress  Eugenie     ...             -  Electa  V.  Beecher 

Madame  Orsini,              ....  Rachel  Shannon 

Therkssa  Montano,             .             .             -  .            Jennie  Ferrj- 

Felicia  Orsini,      .         -             -             -             -  Hattie  M.  Drake 

The  exercises  of  the  afternoon  besides  the  colloquy  con- 
sisted of  the  following  parts  : 

1  LATIN  SALUTATORY, 

T.  H.  Darrah,  Ebenshurg,  Pa. 

2  ORATION,  ....      Constitutional  Reform 

Clark  Braden,  Bazctta. 

3  ORATION,  ...  -  -  Mythology 

H.  D.  Carlton,  Shalersville. 

4  ORATION  .  -  -  -  -  British  India 

W.  H.  Turner,  Troy. 

5  ORATION  .....  The  Crusades 

C.  P.  Bowler,  Auburn. 

6  GERMAN  DIALOGUE  -  -  -      (From  Schiller.) 

W.  ScHMiCKLEY,    Germany.     E.  B.  Monroe,  Mogadore. 

7  ORATION  -  -       '     -  -  -        The  Inner  Lite 

W.  L.  Hayden,  Deer  field. 

8  ORATION  .....  King  Philip 

P.  C.  Reed,  Auburn. 

9  ORATION  -  -  -  The  Grammar  of  Nature 

A.  Wilcox,  Hiram, 

10     VALEDICTORY  -  -  -       The  Great  Awakening 

O.  C.  Atwatkr,   Mantua  Station. 

Of  some  of  the  characters  in  the  play  Mr.  Ford  has  fur- 
nished a  brief  description : 

FR.A.NK  M.  Green 

_     ,•»,/-  You  know  him.    He  was  here  early 

Frank  M.  Green.  o  i   •        o-o  ^      i  ^  •  i 

as  1853,  and  m  1858  took  part  m  a  play 

written  by  Miss  Booth  and  Garfield,  "The  Conspiracy  of 
Count  De  Orsini,"  which  was  brought  on  the  stage  in  the 
big  tent  Commencement  Day  afternoon.  Frank  played 
against  Hiram  Chamberlain,  and  brandished  his  sword  with 
great  skill,  cutting  right  and  left,  until  we  thought  him  fit 
to  send  to  West  Point ;  but  he  turned  to  a  better  calling.  He 
grasped  the  "Sword  of  the  Spirit,"  and  became  a  famous 
preacher,  clear  of  mind  and  heart,  "rightly  dividing  the 
word  of  truth."    In  the  missionary  field,  he  swept  the  round 


kv: 


APPENDIX.  403 

of  the  States,  and  on  from  the  sands  of  the  South  to  Nova 
Scotia. 

You  will  excuse  me  for  saying  that,  ten  years  later  than 
1858,  he  was  in  about  the  best  real  performance  I  know  of. 
With  his  wife  attending,  amid  the  June  roses  of  Lubec  in 
old  Maine,  he  said  the  ceremony  at  the  wedding  of  Mary  E. 
Staples  and  W.  J.  Ford.  It  was  one  of  his  many  feats  of 
this  kind,  but  good  and  lasting. 

When  his  home  county  of  Summit  wanted  a  popular 
champion  of  the  rights  of  the  people,  one  who  had  convic- 
tions and  would  stand  squarely  by  them,  front  face  against 
the  enemy  and  the  trickery  of  politicians,  they  elected  him, 
and  he  did  splendid  service  in  the  Ohio  legislature. 

Hiram  S.  Chamberlain 

In  the  play,  made  a  desperate  sabre  stroke, 
Hiram  S.  ,  .  f  •         .  1  •    j  t-        1  > 

Chamberlain.        ^^^  sword  sweepmg  the  wmd  on  b  rank  s 

head,  and  the  whizzing  clip  within  an  inch 

of  his  nose,  in  such  terrifying  swiftness  that  the  shining 

blade  flew  from  his  hand  and  went  crashing  on  the  floor, 

before  the  excited  crowd,  to  whom  he  was  in  dead  earnest. 

During  the  Civil  War  he  entered  the  Union  army  and 
served  with  distinguished  ability.  After  the  war  he  remained 
in  the  South,  where  he  yet  lives.  His  home  is  at  Chatta- 
nooga, Tennessee,  and  he  is  an  honorable  and  honored  citi- 
zen of  his  adopted  state. 

"Hi,  old  High."  The  boys  all  liked  him,  and  would 
swing  their  hats  and  sing.  He  did  not  forget  the  Eclectic 
School  days,  and  the  play  of  42  years  ago,  when  he  made  a 
generous  gift  at  the  Jubilee  of  1900. 

Electa  V.   Beecher 

Was  the  Empress  Eugenie  in  that  play. 
Electa  V.  Beecher.    She  swept  the  stage  in  regal  robes,  and 

was  the  one  admired  in  the  eyes  of  ambi- 
tious youth,  and  envied  by  the  girls.  She  married,  and  has 
been  since  the  queen  supreme  in  the  home  of  George  Miller 
in  Freedom  and  Garrettsvillc,  and  has  led  on  in  the  interests 
of  good  society. 


404  APPENDIX. 

George  Miller  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Lee  were  students  in  1851. 
George  roomed  first  right  hand  door  going  into  the  base- 
ment. 

Elias  a.  Ford 

„,.      .    t:,     ,        Was  Louis  Napoleon,  and  had  a  military 

Elias  A.  Ford.         •■     .      r  ^t,        o     ^-  vi         j     1  j 

hat  of  the  1012  time,  with  red  plume  and 

white  tipped  feather.  His  part  was  played  and  kingdom 
won.  How  quick,  from  this  acting  on  the  stage,  to  the  real. 
In  the  dread  carnage  of  Stone  River,  his  regiment,  Forty- 
first  Ohio,  fought  on  the  pivot  of  battle,  facing  all  points  of 
compass,  the  last  day  of  December,  1862.  He  was  last  in 
command  of  Company  B.  A  minnie  ball  passed  through  his 
right  lung.  Lying  on  a  miattress  in  an  army  wagon.  New 
Year's  day,  in  a  fearful  race  of  four  miles  over  the  pike, 
from  pursuit  of  Wheeler's  cavalry,  the  blood  jolted  in  clots 
from  his  wound,  upon  the  mattress.  The  furious  driver 
came  to  a  blockade  in  the  road,  but  sprang  his  horses  in  a 
cut  up  the  bank,  rounding  the  Pike  curve,  in  the  rear  of  the 
Fourth  Michigan  cavalry.  The  fire  from  their  revolving 
rifles,  when  the  pursuing  rebels  came  round  the  road  bend, 
dropped  six  men  from  their  saddles.  That  jolting  ride,  and 
onward  to  Nashville,  saved  E.  A.'s  life.  In  twenty  days  he 
was  writing  from  the  hospital  in  regular  correspondence  to 
the  Cleveland  Herald.  Being  made  brevet  captain  and  hon- 
orably discharged,  he  went  to  railroading,  and  became  one 
of  the  first  passenger  agents  in  this  country,  and  is  in  the 
Pennsylvania  service.  His  palace  car  has  better  style  than 
Napoleon's  militia  hat  and  red  feather  of  1858,  but  he  is 
plain  E.  A.  F.  all  the  same,  and  remembered  the  Eclectic  in  a 
Jubilee  gift. 

Of  those  who  took  the  prominent  parts  of  the  play  ail 
are  yet  living. 

Mary    M.  Buckingham's    name    ap- 

Mary  M.  pears  in  the  roll  of  students  in  the  first 

ing  am.        ^^^^  ^^  ^^^   Eclectic   Institute.      Of  her 

home  and  history  the  following  are  interesting  particulars: 

On  the  west  side  of  the  road,  across  the  valley  north 
from  Hiram  Hill  was  an  orchard  in  185 1.  It  was  on  the 
farm  bought  by  John  Buckingham,  and  in  it  the  first  regular 


APPENDIX.  405 

commencement  exercises  were  held.  On  that  occasion  Emily 
Ford  had  on  a  red  sash  and  marched  the  girls'  column  down 
the  hill  road.  The  second  regular  commencement  was  in 
the  tree  shade,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  campus,  and 
Garfield  was  Ahazuerus,  and  Lucretia,  Esther.  Mary  saw 
all  there  was  of  these  display  days,  and  she  knows  as  much 
town  history  and  Eclectic  story  of  student  freaks  and  solid 
progress  as  any  one  now  in  this  modern  water  fed  and  elec- 
tric lighted  town. 

The  closing  century  found  her  one  of  a  quartette  of 

ladies,  Miss  Marcia  Henry,  Mrs.  Churchill  and  Mrs. 

W.  J.  Ford,  in  chapel  on  watch  December  31st,  1900,  and 
all  of  them  read  historic  notes  to  a  delighted  town  multitude. 

Mary  graduated  at  Oberlin,  went  to  Kansas  and  mar- 
ried John  L.  Patterson,  a  good  lawyer  in  Lawrence.  She 
taught  in  the  University  and  at  other  points  in  the  State. 
Cheerful  as  a  girl,  she  is  lifting  along  her  burdens  in  the 
most  hopeful  and  helpful  way,  and  is  again  teaching,  now 
in  the  old  Buckingham  home  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Of  her 
scholars,  there  are  two  real  Japanese  girls,  who  are  being 
educated  for  mission  work,  and  she  has  pride  in  such  bright 
students.  She  is  matron  of  the  "Ladies'  History  and  Cul- 
ture Class"  in  Hiram,  and  with  steady  dignity  presides  over 
and  questions  such  a  modern  deliberative  body,  and  consid- 
ers it  a  high  honor. 

The  career  of  Mormonism  at  Hiram  was  brief,  but  hot 
while  it  lasted.    Symonds  Ryder,  who  for  a  short  time  gave 
heed  to  its  advocates  and  lived  in  the  midst  of  the  scenes  he 
describes,  says:    "In  the  winter  of  1831  Joseph  Smith,  with 
rpj^g  others,  had  an  appointment  in  the  south 

Mormon  Episode     school  house  in  Hiram.     Such  was  the 
at  Hiram,  apparent    piety,    sincerity    and    humility 

of  the  speakers,  that  many  of  the  hearers  were  greatly  af- 
fected, and  thought  it  impossible  that  such  preachers  should 
lie  in  wait  to  deceive.  During  the  next  spring  and  summer 
several  converts  were  made,  and  their  success  seemed  to 
indicate  an  immediate  triumph  in  Hiram.  But  when  they 
went  to  Missouri  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  splendid  city 
of  Zion,  and  also  of  the  temple,  they  left  their  papers  ba- 


406  APPENDIX. 

hind.  This  gave  their  new  converts  an  opportunity  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  internal  arrangement  of  their 
church,  which  revealed  to  them  the  horrid  fact  that  a  plot 
was  laid  to  take  their  property  from  them  and  place  it  under 
control  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  prophet.  This  was  too  much 
for  the  Hiramites,  and  they  left  the  Mormonites  faster  than 
they  had  ever  joined  them,  and  by  fall  the  Mormon  church 
in  Hiram  was  a  very  lean  concern.  But  some  who  had  been 
dupes  of  this  deception,  determined  not  to  let  it  pass  with 
impunity;  and,  accordingly,  a  company  was  formed  of  citi- 
zens from  Shalersville,  Garrettsville,  and  Hiram  in  March, 
1832,  and  proceeded  to  headquarters  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  and  took  Smith  and  Rigdon  from  their  beds  and 
tarred  and  feathered  them  both,  and  let  them  go.  This  had 
the  desired  effect,  which  was  to  get  rid  of  them.  They  soon 
left  for  Kirtland.  All  who  continued  with  the  Mormons, 
and  had  any  property,  lost  all ;  among  whom  was  John  John- 
son, one  of  our  most  worthy  men ;  also.  Esquire  Snow,  of 
Mantua,  who  lost  two  or  three  thousand  dollars."  The  let- 
ter from  which  this  extract  is  taken  was  written  to  A.  S. 
Hay  den  by  Symonds  Ryder,  February  i,  1868. 

In  183 1  Mr.  Ryder  was  informed  that  by  special  reve- 
lation he  had  been  appointed  and  commissioned  an  elder  of 
the  Mormon  church.  "His  commission  came,  and  he  found 
his  name  misspelled.  Was  the  Holy  Spirit  so  fallible  as  to 
fail  even  in  orthography?  Beginning  with  this  challenge, 
his  strong,  incisive  mind  and  honest  heart  were  brought  to 
the  task  of  re-examining  the  ground  on  which  he  stood ;" 
and  soon  the  spell  of  enchantment  was  broken,  and  the  de- 
lusion was  ended. 

Somewhat  more  in  detail,  Hartwell  Ryder,  son  of 
Symonds  Ryder,  and  now  past  his  eigi:tieth  year,  on  the 
night  of  December  31,  1900,  at  a  public  meeting  in  Hiram, 
described  the  tarring  and  feathering  of  Rigdon  and  Smith : 
"Large  numbers  met  in  the  Hinckley  brick-yard  at  night. 
They  organized,  one  party  to  go  to  Rigdon's  house,  and  an- 
other to  the  Johnson  house.  The  move  was  to  be  secret. 
Not  a  word  was  to  be  spoken.  Rigdon  was  taken  out,  near 
to  an  oak  tree,  now  standing  on  the  south  side  of  the  road, 
and  treated  to  a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers.    All  that  summer 


APPENDIX.  407 

after,  the  boy  Hartwcli  saw  feathers  on  the  ground.  Where 
the  Stevens  house  now  stands  was  the  Johnson  house,  and 
there  the  other  party  found  Joe  Smith  in  bed,  in  the  west 
room,  above  the  cellar  story.  They  put  him  out  from  this 
loft,  down  into  the  hands  of  those  outside.  About  the  time 
this  was  done,  at  Rigdon's  a  young  woman  in  another  room 
had  been  wakened,  and  was  striking  a  light  to  see  what  was 
going  on.  Perceiving  there  would  be  a  revelation  of  the 
characters  in  this  religious  play,  a  tall  mian  inside,  imitating 
the  voice  of  Elder  Symonds  Ryder,  commanded  that  they  be 
let  out.  The  outsiders  opened  the  door,  and  out  they  went, 
before  the  light  of  discovery  came.  It  is  but  just  to  say  that 
R.yder  had  nothing  to  do  with  this  affair.  Smith  was  taken 
about  twenty  rods  south,  and  received  his  coat  of  tar  and 
feathers.  Thus  ended  the  Mormon  absurdity  in  Hiram  in 
183 1-2.  Some  twelve  or  fifteen  went  off  into  the  wilds  of 
Missouri,  and  were,  with  the  church,  driven  from  there,  and 
lost  their  property. 

Hiram  students  were  not  less  patriotic  in  the  great  war 
between  the  States,  North  and  South,  from  1861  to  1865, 
than  those  of  other  Institutions  in  northern  Ohio.  Of  those 
who  held  high  rank  were  Major  General  James  A.  Garfield 

„  , ,.  and  Brigadier  General  William  B.  Hazen, 

Hiram  Soldiers        1     ^1       r      1  •,  ^■     .     j. 

"■gfil  18r5  whom  were  among  its  earliest  stu- 

dents. The  larger  part  of  the  Hiram  sol- 
diery, however,  belonged  to  the  two  literary  societies,  the 
Delphic  and  the  Hesperian.  The  following  is  as  nearly  a 
complete  and  accurate  list  as  could  be  obtained : 

I — David  D.  Bard,  Capt.  Co.  I,  104th  O. 
Soldiers  from  the  y^   j      Mortally  wounded  in  battle 

Delphic  Society.  ^^  Franklin,  Tenn.,  Nov.  30,   1864. 

2— PF.  F.  Bard,  Co.  F,  45th  O.  V.  I.     Died  in  prison  at 

Andersonville,  Ga.,  March  25,  1864. 
3 — Clifton  A.  Bennett,  Capt.,  ist  Regt.  U.  S.  colored  troops. 
4 — Charles  H.  Bill,  Capt.,  Co.  G,  2d  O.  V.  cavalry.    Mus- 
tered out  witli  regiment  at  close  of  the  war. 
5 — Charles  P.  Bozuler,  Co.  C,  7th  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Killed  in 
battle  at  Cedar  Mountain,  Va.,  Aug.  9,  1862. 


408  APPENDIX. 

6 — Jesse  L.  Bozvell,  Co.  D,  143d  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out 

with  regiment,    Deceased. 
7 — D.  W.  Buckingham,  Co.  F,  2d  U.    S.    sharpshooters. 

Wounded  at  Gettysburgh,  Pa,  July  3  ,1863.    Died  in 

service  Nov.  26,  1863. 
8— L.  L.  Campbell,  Lieut.  Co.  L,  2d  O.  V.  I.     Mustered 

out  with  regiment  at  close  of  war. 
9 — G.  IV.  Carson,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out 

with  regiment  at  close  of  war. 
10 — H.  S.  Chamberlain,  Lieut.  Co.  B,  2d  O.  V.  C.  Capt.  and 

A.  Q.  AL 
II— IF.  P.  Chamberlain,  Lieut.  Co.  A,  23d  O.  V.  L     Mus- 
tered out  with  regiment. 
12— W.  H.  Clapp,  Lieut.  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  L     Lieut.  Col. 

2ist  Ind.  U.  S.  A. 
13— C.  W.  Clark,  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  L    Lieut.  U.  S.  colored 

troops. 
14 — Wallace  Coburn,  Co.  C,  7th  O.  V.  L    Mortally  wound- 
ed at  Winchester,  Pa.,  March  23,  1862. 
15 — P.  M.  Cozi'les,  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  L    Mustered  out  with 

regiment  at  close. 
16 — Frank  A.  Derthick,  Co.  C,  150th  O,  V.  L     Mustered 

out  with  regiment. 
17 — A.  R.  Dewey,  Co.  C,  150th  O.  V.  L    Mustered  out  with 

regiment. 
18— O.  E.  Dewey,  Co.  E,  177th  O.  V.  L    Mustered  out  with 

regiment  at  close. 
19 — Hiram  Durkee,  Co.  D,  23d  O.  V.  L    Killed  in  battle  at 

South  Alountain,  in  Marvland,  Sept.  14,  1862. 
20— E.  H.  Eggleston,  Capt.  Co'.  M.,    Maj.    2d    O.    V.    C. 

Wounded  at  Hanover  C.  H.  in  Virginia,  May  30,  and 

at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 
21— J.  C.  Ellis,  Co.  H.,  150th  O.  V.  L    Mustered  out  with 

regiment. 
22— D.  D.  Evans,  Co.  E,  167th  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out  with 

regiment. 
23 — Parmenas  C.  Faunce,  Co.  I,  6th  O.  V.  C.    Wounded  at 

battle  of  Wilderness,  Va.,  May  7,  1864.    Disabled. 
24— £.  A.  Ford,  Lieut.  Co.  B,  41st  O.  V.  L    Wounded  at 

Stone  River,  Tenn.,  Dec.  31,  1862.     Disabled. 


TELESCOPE   PRESENTED  BY  LATHROP  COOI.EY 

W'aKNER    &    SWASEY,    MaNI  FACTLREHS,    CLEVELAND,    O, 


APPENDIX.  409 

25 — Albert  W.  Green,  Co.  B,  42d  O.  V.  I.    Disabled. 
26 — Thomas  C.  Hart,  Co.  C,  2d  O.  V.  C.    Disabled. 
27 — S.  Hart,  Co.  B,  105  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out  with  regi- 
ment at  close. 
28 — John  R.  Haven,  Cotter's  Independent  Battery.    Mortal- 
ly wounded  at  Scarey  Creek,  Va.,  July  17,  1861.  First 

Portage  county  soldier  killed  in  the  war. 
29 — Charles  E.  Henry,  Adjt.  42d  O.  V.  I.     Wounded  at 

Vicksburgh,  Miss.,   May  22,   1863.       Mustered  out 

with  regiment  at  close.  , 
30 — E.  E.  Henry,  Co.  A,  23d  O.  V.  I.    Wounded  at  Antie- 

tam,  Sept.  17,  1862.    Mustered  out  with  regiment  at 

close. 
31— W.  B.  Higby,  Co.  H,  150th  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out  with 

regiment  at  close.    Deceased. 
32 — 7.  B.  Johnson,  Co.  B,  41st  O.  V.  I.    Wounded  at  Stone 

River,  Tenn.,  Dec.  31,  1862.     Disabled. 
33 — H.  W.  Johnson,  Capt.  Co.  B,  and  Major  41st  O.  V.  I. 

Mustered  out  with  regiment  at  close. 
34 — William  M.  Johnson,  Co.  D,  6th  O.  V.  I.    Wounded  and 

captured  on  Sheridan's  raid  in  Va.,   May  9,   1864. 

Disabled.     Deceased. 
35 — Charles  O.  Lamphcar,  Battery  A,  ist  O.  L.  A.    Served 

during  the  entire  war.    Died  March,  1866,  of  disease 

contracted. 
36 — E.  L.  Lemert,  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  I.    Wounded  May  16, 

1863,  in  battle  of  Champion  Hills,  Miss.     Mustered 

out  with  regiment  at  close. 
37 — Jesse  B.  Luce,  Co.  C,  125th  O.  V.  I.    Wounded  before 

Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  13,  1864.  Disabled.  Deceased. 
38 — 7.  B.  McCleery,  Capt.  and  Chaplain  in  regular  army. 
39 — Henry  C.  Norville,  Capt.  Co.  E,  23d  Mich.  V.  I.    Died 

in  service  Oct.  2,  1862. 
40 — T.  C.  Parsons,  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out  with 

regiment. 
41 — Edward  Patchin,  Co.  E,  105th  O.  V.  I.     Wounded  at 

Perryville,  Ky.,  Oct.  8,  1862.    Disabled. 
42 — Stephen  Patchin,  Co.  E,  105th  O.  V.  I.    Mustered  out 

with  regfiment  at  close. 


4IO  APPENDIX. 

43— L.  T.  Patchin,  Lieut.  Co.  I,  41st  O.  V.  I.      Mortally 

wounded  at  Stone  River,  Tenn.,  Dec.  31,  1862. 
44 — A.  H.  Pcttibonc,  Maj.  20th  Wis.     Mustered  out  with 

regiment  at  close. 
45 — T.  N.  Pulsipher,  Capt.  131st  111.    Died  in  La.  in  service 

during  winter  of  '62-'63. 
46 — D.  L.  Rockzvell,  Lieut.  5th    Regt.  U.    S.    A.    colored 

troops.     Deceased. 
47 — /.  5".  Ross,  Capt.  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  L     Mustered  out 

with  regiment  at  close. 
48 — /.  H.  Smith,  Co.  B,  6th  U.  S.  C.     Served  three  years. 

Died  Sept.  4,  1864,  of  disease  contracted  in  service. 
49 — Wm.  H.  Smith,  Lieut.  14th  O.  V.  Battery.    Died  Aug. 

2,  1863,  of  disease  contracted  in  service. 
50 — H.  H.  Smith,  Co.  F,  171st  O.  V.  L    Mustered  out  with 

regiment  at  close. 
SI— Jeff-  T.  Spink,  Co.  B,  2d  O.  V.  C.    Disabled. 
52 — Aaron  Teeple,  Co.  A,  42d  O.  V.  L    ^Mustered  out  with 

regiment  at  close. 
53—/.  M.  Van  Horn,  Co.  B,  65th  O.  V.  L     Mustered  out 

with  regiment  at  close. 
54— £.  B.  Wakefield,  Co.  G,  177th  O.  V.  L    Mustered  out 

with  regiment  at  close. 
55 — F.  A.  Williams,  Maj.  42d  O.  V.  L    Died  in  service  July 

25,  1862. 
S6—W.  P.  Williamson,  Lieut.  Co.  G,  29th  O.  V.  L    Killed 

in  battle  at  Winchester,  Va.,  March  23,  1862. 

,  ,,.       ,         ,       I— A.  N.  Allyn,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V. 

Soldiers    from    the  j       j^.j,-^  ^^  p^^^  ^j^^^^^ 

Hesperian  Society.    .-P^nz  R.  Ayers,  Capt.  Co.  A,  42d  Regt. 

N.  G.  V.  L 
^—Baldwin  Bentlcy,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  L     Died  of 

sickness. 
4—E.  L.  Beech,  Co.  K,  150th  Regt.  O.  V.  L.  N.  G. 
S—Plimmon  Bennett,  Co.  K,  150th  Regt.  O.  V.  L,  N.  G. 
6— 6^.  C.  B ester,  177th  O.  V.  L 
7—S.  B.  Bird. 
S—M.  M.  Brezvster,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  L     Died  of 

sickness. 


APPENDIX. 


411 


g—A.  B.  Bi-ozun,  Co.  B,  36th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

10— M.  G.  Clapp,  Co.  B,  23d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Discharged. 

II— il/.  S.  Clark,  Co.  A,  41st  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Discharged. 

12 — A.  B.  Cook,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.  Killed  near 
Vicksburg. 

13 — A.  C.  Cozucn,  Co.  A,  23d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

14— W.  W.  Curtis,  149th  Regt.  O.  V.  I.,  N.  G. 

15 — H.  M.  Davidson,  Battery  A,  ist  O.  V.  L.  A. 

16 — E.  K.  Davidson,  Battery  A,  ist  O.  V.  L,  A.    Killed. 

17 — O.  P.  EUenwood,  Battery  A,  14th  O.  L.  V.  V. 

18 — A.  C.  Ellsworth. 

19 — A.  E.  Evans,  Co.  H,  150th  Regt.  O.  V.  A.  G. 

20— L.  A.  Ferry,  Co.  B,  6th  Regt.  O.  V.  C. 

21 — D.  C.  Gardner,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Wounded. 

22 — I.  H.  Hague. 

23— B.  G.  Hank,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

24 — George  Hayden,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.  Discharged, 
sick. 

25—0.  C.  Hill,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

26 — R.  C.  Huntoon,  Adjt.  U.  S.  Regt.,  colored. 

27 — M.  I.  Harris,  Co.  — ,  177th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

28—//.  B.  Hart,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

29 — Seth  James,  9th  Batt.  O.  V.  A.     Died  of  sickness. 

30— £.  6".  Hart,  Co.  H,  150th  Regt.  O.  V.  N.  G. 

31 — S.  W.  Latham. 

Z2—F.  H.  Mason,  Capt.  Co.  — ,  12th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

2,Z—^'  B.  Mason,  Co.  G,  171st  Regt.  O.  V.  I.,  N.  G. 

ZA—A.  C.  Mason,  Capt.  Co.  C,  105th  Regt.  O.  V.  I.     Died. 

35 — E.  L.  Mason,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Discharged. 

36— F.  B.  Merzvin,  Co.  — ,  171st  Regt.  O.  V.  I.,  N.  G. 

37— W.  D.  Mills,  Capt.  111.  V.  I. 

38—^.  W.  Mills,  Capt.  loth  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

39— A^.  N.  Mcintosh,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

40 — H.  L.  Moore,  Lieut.  Col.  2d  Regt.  Kansas  V.  C. 

41 — A.  B.  Monroe,  Lieut.  Co.  H,  9th  Regt.  Iowa  V.  I.  Dis- 
charged. 

42— W.  H.  H.  Monroe,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  Y.  I. 

43 — 0-  A-  Monroe,  Battery  A.  ist  Regt.  O.  L.  A.  V.  V. 

44 — /.  M.  Monroe,  Co.  G.  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.    Wounded. 

4S—R-  H.  Moss,  Co.  I,  9th  Regt.  111.  V.  I. 


41-  APPENDIX. 

46 — 6".  P.  Nezvcomh,  Capt.  Co.  H,  53d  U.  S.  I.,  colored. 

47 — /.  R.  Newton,  Co.  B,  6th  U.  S.  C,  colored. 

4S—D.  R.  Northii'ay,  j\Iaj.  6th  O.  V.  C. 

49 — H.  B.  Norton,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.     Discharged, 

sick. 
50 — R.  C.  Norton,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.     Discharged. 
51— G.  K.  Pardee,  Capt.  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
52—/.  0.  Rudolph,  Capt.,  A.  Q.  M. 
53— C.  O.  Rockzvcll,  9th  Battery,  O.  V.  I. 
54—/.  K.  Rudolph,  Co.  A,  23d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
55— C.  B.  Scott,  7th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
56 — Joel  M.  Seymour,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
57— C.  C.  Smith,  2d  Regt.  O.  V.  C. 
58 — Coe  I.  Stanford,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
59 — William  Strong,  14th  Batt.  O.  V.  V.  L.  A. 
60 — Lucian  Turner,  Co.  4th,  150th  Regt.  O.  V.  I.,  N.  G. 
61— F.  F.  Vaughan,  Co.  G,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I.,  N.  G. 
62— M.  F.  Webb,  Battery,  O.  V.  A.     Died. 
63—//.  M.  Wilson,  Co.  — ,  i6th  O.  V.  I. 
64— N.  B.  Wiggins,  Co.  G,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
65— C.  B.  Wiggins,  Co.  — ,  177th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
66— L.  P.  Wright,  6th  Regt.  O.  V.  C. 
67—Rodolphus  Rard,  Co.  I,  104th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
68— S.  D.  Rav,  Co.  A,  42d  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
69— G.  E.  Barber,  Co.  I,  104th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
yo—Edzvard  Allyn,  Co.  I,  33d  Regt.  I.  V.  V.  I. 
71— £.  B.  Snell,  9th  Battery,  O.  V.  A. 
y2—J.  P.  Dazvley,  Co.  C.  I'lth  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
73— £.  C.  Johnson,  Battery  K,  ist  O.  V.  L.  A. 
74.— D.  S.  Thomas,  Capt.,  88th  Ind.  V.  I. 
75 — S.  I.  Sanford. 
ye—E.  Leavitt,  Co.  A,  2d  O  .V.  C. 
yy — F.  L.  Chapman,  Co.  D,  104th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
yS—Robt.  Chapman,  Co.  I,  104th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 
79—5-.  A.  Udall,  Co.  I,  104th  Regt.  O.  V.  I. 

This  is  an  honorable  list  of  brave  and  efficient  men. 
Those  who  ranked  as  privates  were  among  the  bravest  in 
battle,  and  in  fortitude  in  camp  or  on  the  march  they  were 
soldiers  of  the  best  quality ;  and  those  who  held  official  place 
from  corporal  to  major  general  never  made  either  their  com- 


^u" 


APPENDIX.  413' 

rades  or  their  country  blush  for  shame  at  their  cowardice  or 
inefficiency.  These  do  not  represent  all  who  went  from  the 
ranks  of  Hiram  students  to  the  war,  but  only  those  who 
were  members  of  the  two  literary  societies  named. 

Burke  Aaron  Hinsdale. 

Supplementary  to  the  sketch  of  Dr.  B.  A.  Hinsdale  by 
the  author,  found  in  the  body  of  this  history,  the  following- 
estimates  by  those  who  were  related  to  him  as  friend,  stu- 
dent, preacher,  teacher,  and  educator  will  fittingly  round  out 
the  history  of  his  progress  for  half  a  century.  In  many 
ways  he  came  to  be  a  notable  man ;  and  as  his  active  career 
closed  with  the  semi-centennial  year  of  Hiram  College,  the 
views  expressed  concerning  him  as  an  educator  by  some  of 
the  most  famous  educators  of  the  age  and  of  the  world  will 
have  a  permanent  value.  From  a  very  humble  beginning 
he  rose  to  rank  with  the  greatest  in  his  chosen  profession. 
These  judgments  honor  Hiram  as  much  as  they  honor  the 
man,  for  at  Hiram  he  began  the  building  which  grew  to 
such  stately  proportions. 

From  the  standpoint    of    a  faithful 
C.  B.Lockwood.      friend,  Mr.  C.  B.  Lockwood  gives    this 
view : 

Dr.  Burke  A.  Hinsdale  was  the  only  man  I  have  known 
who  was  grateful  to  be  told  of  his  faults.  His  whole  life 
was  a  definition  of  the  words,  uprightness  and  sincerity. 
He  had  profound  faith  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  righteous- 
ness. He  was  so  careful  of  his  facts  that  his  statements 
could  be  safely  repeated  in  any  company.  He  was,  in  the 
highest  degree,  companionable  with  his  friends,  and  his 
friendship  was  a  rich  heritage.  I  am  sure  all  his  friends  feel 
that  they  are  not  quite  the  same  as  they  would  have  been, 
without  him,  and  it  will  cause  many  heartaches  among  them 
to  adjust  their  lives  to  his  absence. 

You  ask  me  to  give  you  the  strong  points  and  weak 

points  of  Hinsdale  as  a  man  and  preacher.    He  had  no  weak 

„  „  „  points    of    character.      He    stood    "four 

square  to  all  the  winds  that  blow."     In 

social  life  he  was  more  like  Dr.  Johnson  than  he  was  like 


414  APPENDIX. 

Chesterfield.  He  belonged  to  a  class  of  thinkers  in  litera- 
ture. He  was  blunt  and  honest.  He  had  some  traits  of 
character  like  Johnson,  Milton,  Carlyle,  and  Maccauley. 
He  would  have  used  the  same  words  that  Maccauley  did  to 
the  queen  when  she  said  to  him :  "You  are  severe  in  your 
history  about  my  ancestors."  Our  old  schoolmate  would 
have  replied  in  the  same  spirit,  "Your  majesty  means  your 
predecessors." 

Hinsdale  was  a  toiler  and  in  his  life  work  he  kept 
shield  and  armor  bright.  We  have  few  workers  in  history 
equal  to  our  classmate  of  forty  years  ago. 

Forty-three  years  is  a  long  time,  but  not  long  enough  to 

dim  my  memory  of  the  delightful  days  spent  on  Hiram  Hill 

with  B.  A.  Hinsdale.    We  studied  togeth- 

Ch  ^'"b'"  1  •  ^^  ^^  ^^^^  same  classes,  often  roomed  and 

slept  together,  and  for  three  years  were 

associated    intimately   and   closely   in   all    the   relations   of 

student  life. 

Hinsdale  had  talent  according  to  Garfield's  definition ; 
that  is,  the  ability  to  work ;  and  he  was  a  faithful,  though 
not  an  easy,  worker.  His  mind,  as  a  student,  was  by  no 
means  alert  and  facile — rather  slow  and  laborious.  He  saw 
things,  but  not  the  first  time.  He  was  a  hunter,  but  only 
found  big  game ;  and  yet,  alwavs  brought  home  plenty  of 
that.  In  his  studies  per  se  he  neither  excelled  or  fell  in  the 
rear ;  but  in  getting  the  larger  view  upon  any  question — 
whether  social,  political,  historical,  or  what  not — with  all  the 
facts  and  side-lights  bearing  upon  it,  and  the  ability  to  co- 
gently and  forcibly  express  in  the  clearest  manner  the  gist 
and  kernel  of  it  all,  he  was  facile  princcps. 

Hinsdale  rarely  joined  in  college  sports,  and  was  not 
what  might  be  called  "hail  fellow  well  met."  Yet  he  was 
neither  priggish  or  puritanical — only  inactive  physically, 
while  mentally  full  of  vitality  and  energy.  Respected  al- 
ways, and  held  in  highest  esteem  by  both  teachers  and  stu- 
dents, it  was  inconceivable  that  he  should  do  anything  to 
bring  discredit  on  the  college. 

"Four-square  to  every  wind  that  blew,"  Hinsdale  was 
one  man  every  one  knew,  without  telling,  would  be  ever  and 
always  for  sound  learning  and  sound  morals ;  and  he  hated  a 
sham,  either  in  life  or  letters. 


APPENDIX. 


415 


Looking  back  for  nearly  half  a  century,  full  of  varied 
and  wide  experiences,  full  of  stupendous  changes  in  the 
current  thought  of  the  time,  in  science  and  art,  in  the  na- 
tional and  individual  point  of  view,  in  the  accelerating  move- 
ment of  all  the  moral  and  intellectual  forces,  the  mem.ory  of 
the  quiet,  restful  life  at  Hiram,  with  Garfield,  and  Miss 
Booth,  and  Hinsdale,  and  scores  of  others,  many  of  whom 
are  on  the  other  side,  comes  like  a  benediction.  It  may  be 
some  of  us  are  getting  older. 

To  many  of  us  he  was  teacher,  preacher  and  friend. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  faith  in  God.     While  there  never 

.  „  ^  ,  was  any  word  that  savored  of  religious 
cant,  yet  to  him  the  unseen,  the  spiritual, 
was  real.  I  can  almost  see  him  now  in  the  Hiram  pulpit, 
quoting  with  his  peculiar  emphasis  the  words  spoken  of 
Moses :  "For  he  endured  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible." 
In  the  Garfield  memorial  service  held  in  Cleveland,  when  the 
Nation  was  in  deepest  sorrow,  President  Hinsdale  said, 
concerning  the  death  of  his  loved  friend ;  "It  is  a  great  test 
of  faith  in  God.  He  thought  that  an  increasing  purpose 
runs  through  the  ages,  and  comprehends  the  lives  of  men ; 
and  I  think  so  too.  Still  hitherto  I  have  been  able  to  do 
little  more  than  say,  'Lord,  I  believe !  Help  thou  mine  un- 
belief.' "  Beneath  these  words  is  the  spirit  of  real  faith. 
He  had  also  an  abiding  love  of  truth ;  and  because  he  was 
always  a  truth  seeker  he  was  an  inspiring  teacher.  His 
mind  and  heart  were  ever  open  to  light.  He  believed  that 
the  truth  would  make  men  free.  There  was  in  him  none  of 
the  spirit  of  narrowness  and  bigotry.  He  was  deep  and 
broad  and  tolerant.  He  had  also  a  tender  love  for  his  fel- 
low-man. As  a  teacher  he  respected  and  encouraged  the 
development  of  the  individuality  of  each  student.  Often  in 
the  class-room  after  the  recitation  of  what  the  author  taught, 
he  would  say:  "And  what  do  you  think  about  it?"  The 
students  who  came  to  him  with  doubts  and  questions  were 
not  put  aside  by  dogmatism  and  authority.  He  was  always 
ready  to  help  them  to  seek  after  the  reasons  of  things. 

I  esteem  it  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  experiences  of 
my  college  life,  that  in  my  Senior  year  I  was  much  under 


4l6  APPENDIX. 

17    T>   in!-  1.  c  ij      Mr.  Hinsdale's  instruction.    He  was  espe- 

E.  B.  Wakefield.        ...  ,   .  i      ,     j-  tt-  ^  x 

cially  good  in  such  studies  as  History  of 

Civilization,  but  in  any  study  the  clear,  strong,  logical  pro- 
cess of  his  thought  was  education  in  itself.  He  was  quick 
to  see  the  foibles  of  his  friends.  He  was  not  given  to  flat- 
tery, and  if  he  spoke,  he  spoke  what  was  in  his  mind.  I  have 
heard  him  speak  in  criticism  of  Garfield  more  than  in  his 
praise ;  and  yet  he  loved  and  honored  him  above  all  other 
men.  Under  all  his  dispraise — if  you  sometime  felt  it,  was 
as  just  and  kind  and  true  a  heart  as  ever  beat ;  and  the  world 
is  vastly  poorer  since  it  is  stilled. 

Prof.  George  H.  Colton  says :  His  really  great  work 
at  Hiram  was  done  in  the  class-room.     He  taught  every 

/-  Tj  r-  w         subject  in  a  strong  and  masterful  way. 

George  H.  Colton.     tt      j  i-    i  ^    i     .  •        i-  • 

He  delighted    to  engage    m    discussions 

with  his  classes,  and  he  was  skillful  in  so  directing  them  as 
to  stimulate  thought  and  to  lead  to  broader  and  clearer 
views.  He  was  thoroughly  honest  and  sincere  in  word  and 
act  and  he  sought  to  beget  these  sterling  qualities  in  his  stu- 
dents. He  was  seldom  familiar  or  talkative  with  students ; 
perhaps  he  was  less  so  in  those  early  years  than  of  late.  He 
answered  questions  with  decision  and  in  few  words.  He 
spoke  bluntly  what  he  thought ;  possibly  sometimes  with 
more  of  strength  than  grace.  New  students  often  thought 
him  cold  and  gruff,  yet  no  one  could  be  near  him  long  who 
did  not  learn  that  he  had  a  most  tender  heart  and  could  be  a 
very  helpful  friend.  The  farther  students  advanced  in  their 
studies  the  more  they  admired  and  put  faith  in  President 
Hinsdale.  The  alumni  who  received  their  diplomas  at  his 
hands  will  ever  be  thankful  that,  for  a  brief  time,  their  lives 
touched  his  and  were  enriched  by  that  power  that  comes 
from,  close  contact  with  a  strong  and  helpful  soul. 

The  foregoing  are  all  expressions  of  those  who  were 
intimate  with  Dr.  Hinsdale  in  the  unstrained  fellowship  of 
the  Hiram  student,  class-room  and  church  life.  The  trib- 
utes that  follow  and  estimates  of  character  and  ability, 
mostly  granted  on  request,  are  from  those  who  hold  high 
positions  among  the  educators  of  the  country,  and  who  were 
intimately  associated  with  him  in  educational  work  and 
studies.     Of  necessity  considerable    abridgment    must    be 


APPENDIX.  417 

made,  but  the  essential  parts  of  each  communication  are 
given  :    William  H.  Maxwell,  City  Super- 
^Maiwell^"  intendent  of  Schools,  New  York,  in  an 

article  in  the  Educational  Review  for 
February,  1901,  on  "Dr.  Hinsdale's  Contributions 
to  Educational  Literature,"  says:  By  his  written 
works  Dr.  Hinsdale  erected  an  enduring  monument 
to  himself  and  conferred  inestimable  benefits  on  the 
pupils  and  teachers  of  America.  Perhaps  the  most 
dominant  note  of  his  mind  was  sanity — saving  common 
sense.  He  was  not  a  discoverer,  he  was  not  an  inventor, 
he  was  not  a  genius — unless,  indeed,  genius  be  limited  to 
taking  pains.  The  service  he  rendered  by  his  writings  was 
the  service  of  the  critic.  From  the  vast  literature  of  the 
, subject  he  selected  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  best  that 
^has  been  said  and  done  in  education.  He  established  this 
.best  on  sound  philosophic  principles,  and  enriched  it  by 
abundant  concrete  illustration.  And  this  he  did  with  great 
power  of  reasoning,  but  without  a  trace  of  bitterness  or 
'uncharitableness.  As  he  saw  clearly  and  thought  clearly, 
so  he  wrote  clearly.  He  had  great  gifts  of  exposition  and 
^illustration.  No  intelligent  person  need  read  one  of  his  sen- 
tences a  second  time  in  order  to  gather  its  meaning.  His 
style  was  eminently  suitable  to  his  matter.  It  would  be 
foolish  to  predict  that  any  of  his  books  is  destined  for  the 
high  place  of  an  educational  classic.  And  yet  his  contem- 
poraries who  have  profited  by  studying  them  may  be  ex- 
cused for  hoping  that  his  Horace  Mann  may  yet  take  its 
place  beside  Quick's  Educational  Reformers,  and  the  How 
to  Study  and  Teach  History  beside  the  Didactica  Magna. 

Writing  concerning  "Dr.  Hinsdale  in  the  National  Ed- 
ucational Association,"  Dr.  Aaron  Gove,  Superintendent  of 
.  „  Schools,  Denver,  Colorado,  says  :    In  the 

list  of  names  of  great  schoolmasters  ulti- 
mately that  of  Dr.  Hinsdale  must  be  included.  About  the 
time  of  his  presidency  of  Hiram  College,  and  during  those 
days.  Dr.  Hinsdale's  pen  was  fierce  and  positive  in  denun- 
ciation of  the  common  schools  of  the  country  as  then  con- 
ducted. The  positive  characteristics  of  the  man  were  used, 
if  not  with  venom,  surely  with  great  distinctness  and  almost 


4l8  APPENDIX. 

bitterness.  His  pamphlets  on  the  subject  printed  at  that 
time  have  been  strange  reading  in  later  days  in  view  of  the 
last  years  of  his  life.  However,  like  the  great  man  that  he 
was,  open  to  conversion  and  conviction,  his  attitude  greatly 
changed,  and  while  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  not  en- 
thusiastically supporting  all  modern  school  measures  and 
so-called  reforms,  he  was  well  over  on  the  side  of  American 
public-school  education.  We  shall  miss  Dr.  Hinsdale  from 
our  professional  meetings.  He  never  refrained  from  taking 
the  floor  when  he  felt  that  he  had  something  worth  express- 
ing, and  no  question  has  ever  arisen  in  debate  in  his  pres- 
ence, that  I  can  remember,  in  the  discussion  of  which  Dr. 
Hinsdale  has  not  undertaken  to  participate.  He  never  wore 
himself  out  in  these  discussions ;  we  never  tired  of  his  talk, 
and  when  he  sat  down,  every  man  in  the  house  felt  that 
something  worth  while  had  been  added.  I  last  saw  Dr. 
Hinsdale  at  the  Isle  of  Palms  in  Charleston  harbor.  Mr. 
R.  \V.  Coy,  of  Cincinnati,  Dr.  Hinsdale,  and  myself  spent 
two  hours,  one  of  those  hot  afternoons,  wondering  why  we 
had  attempted  to  summer  in  Charleston,  and  discussing  the 
general  educational  situation  of  the  country.  I  can  never 
forget  the  wise  and  comprehensive  statements  of  Dr.  Hins- 
dale during  that  afternoon.  I  learned  him  as  1  had  never 
known  him  before.  It  is  good  now  to  remember  him  in  that 
place,  at  that  time,  as  the  last  meeting  on  earth. 

Dr.  Francis  F.  Brown,  editor  The  Dial,  writing  of  Dr. 
Hinsdale  as  "A  Critic  and  Reviewer,"  says:  "For  the  past 

^        .    „  ry  ten  years  or  so,  Dr.  Hinsdale  has  occu- 

Francis  F.  Brown.        .    ,-'  .     '  .^.  ^, 

pied    a    promment    position    among    1  lie 

Dial's  most  valued  reviewers ;  and  his  death  leaves 
a  gap  which  it  will  be  hard  to  fill.  In  the  earlier 
days  of  The  Dial,  the  more  elaborate  reviews  of 
important  works  in  American  history  were  writ- 
ten by  Dr.  W.  F.  Poole,  a  critic  of  very  great  force  and 
authority  in  this  field.  After  Dr.  Poole's  death.  Dr.  Hins- 
dale began  taking  up  this  line  of  work,  and  it  is  a  high  but 
well-merited  tribute  to  say  that  he,  more  than  any  other 
writer  on  the  staff,  succeeded  to  the  position  that  had  been 
held  by  Dr.  Poole.  His  work  showed  the  same  thorough- 
ness of  preparation,  the  same  comprehensive  knowledge,  the 


APPENDIX.  419 

same  open-mindedness  and  sincerity,  the  same  power  of 
forcible  and  clear  expression. 

Of  Dr.  -Hinsdale's  associates  in  the  University  of  Mich- 
igan at  Ann  Arbor,  where  the  12  last  years  of  his  life  were 
spent,  none  is  better  able  to  speak  of  him 

President  appreciatively  and  with  judicial  fairness 

Tames  B.  Angell.        ^^     ^       ^  -'  t-.      a         1,       , 

than  Dr.  James  ±3.  Angell,  the  emment 

President  of  the  University.  Dr.  Angell  says :  Combined  with 
his  interest  in  education  he  had  always  cherished  an  almost 
equal  interest  in  history,  especially  in  American  history.  This 
fact  was  influential  in  shaping  his  instruction  in  education. 
While  he  was  familiar  with  the  leading  philosophical  theo- 
ries which  are  presented  by  prominent  teachers  of  educa- 
tion, and  gave  them  what  he  deemed  due  consideration,  his 
mind  naturally  dwelt  much  on  the  history  of  educational 
movement  in  this  and  other  countries,  and  on  the  develop- 
ment of  various  experiments  and  systems,  and  with  his  calm 
and  wise  judgment  reached  sane  conclusions  by  criticism 
and  induction.  He  was  peculiarly  fitted  by  his  judicial  cast 
of  mind  for  making  this  kind  of  study  profitable.  He  was 
eminently  free  from  any  tendency  to  adopt  what  are  called 
educational  "fads."  Every  theory  and  every  suggestion 
were  brought  in  the  presence  of  his  classes  to  the  test  of 
sound  common  sense,  with  which  he  was  most  richly  en- 
dowed. 

His  mind  was  so  logical  and  well  balanced,  and  his  am- 
ple learning  was  always  so  readily  at  his  command,  that, 
though  not  gifted  with  the  graces  of  oratory,  he  was  very 
strong  in  public  debate.  Whether  in  faculty  meetings  or  in 
public  educational  gatherings,  his  power  of  summing  up  and 
then  of  sustaining  or  of  opposing  with  destructive  power  the 
arguments  which  had  been  presented  on  either  side  will  be 
long  remembered  by  those  who  have  heard  his  forcible 
speech  on  such  occasions.  He  would  have  been  a  vigorous 
advocate  at  the  bar  or  in  parliamentary  bodies. 

He  was  a  most  faithful  college  officer.  Crowded  as  he 
always  was  with  his  own  work,  he  discharged  with  the  ut- 
most fidelity  all  the  duties  assigned  him  on  committees,  and 
took  an  active  -part  in  the  consideration  of  all  propositions 


420  APPENDIX. 

brought  before  the  faculty  or  the  university  senate  for  the 
promotion  of  the  interests  of  the  Institution. 

He  was  a  man  of  untiring  industry,  the  production  of 
no  less  than  fifteen  meritorious  volumes  in  history,  Biblical 
study,  biography,  and  education,  in  addition  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  contributions  to  magazines  and  reviews,  of  elaborate 
reports  to  State  and  national  educational  associations,  and 
of  public  addresses  on  many  subjects,  while  he  was  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  an  exacting  profession,  bears  witness 
to  his  extraordinary  power  of  fruitful  activity.  Endowed 
with  a  most  robust  constitution,  he  did  not  realize 
that  in  his  passion  for  work  he  could  overtax  it.  Yet 
we  cannot  doubt  that  he  did  at  last  make  too  heavy  a  draft 
on  his  strength.  But  life  without  power  to  work  had  no 
charms  for  him.  He  was  a  man  of  the  highest  moral  and  re- 
ligious character.  He  was  a  most  genial  and  helpful  col- 
league. He  expressed  himself  with  a  frankness  which  to 
some  might  occasionally  seem  like  bluntness.  But  this  was 
because  he  was  absolutely  honest.  He  was  generous  in  his 
judgments  of  others,  but  independent  and  fearless  in  form- 
ing and  expressing  his  opinions  of  measures,  whether  educa- 
tional, political  or  religious.  There  was  a  noble  manliness 
in  him,  an  upright  and  downright  integrity  of  make,  an  in- 
spiring devotion  to  whatever  is  uplifting  for  men,  which 
commanded  universal  respect  and  esteem,  and  which  will 
make  his  memory  ever  dear  to  all  of  us  who  had  the  good 
fortune  to  know  him. 

The  following  carefully  prepared  judgment  of  Dr. 
Hinsdale's  character  as  an  educator,  with  a  very  complete 
bibliography  of  his  educational  works,  by  Dr.  William  T. 
Harris  since  1889  at  the  head  of  the  Bureau  of  Education 
for  the  United  States,  will  fittingly  conclude  these  interest- 
ing memorials  of  a  great  teacher : 

My  acquaintance  with  the  late  Professor  B.  A.  Hinsdale 
dates  from  his  connection  with  the  schools  of  Cleveland  as 
superintendent.  I  noticed  on  first  meeting  him  that  he  was 
a  man  of  unusual  character  and  ability 
William  T.  Harris,  and  that  he  had  high  ideas  of  educational 
scholarship.  Doctor  Hinsdale  came  into 
the  public  schools  of  Cleveland  after  he  had  made  a  good 


APPENDIX.  421 

record  as  college  professor.  From  the  beginning  he  brought 
with  him  a  spirit  of  critical  inquiry  into  the  work  of  the  ele- 
mentary public  schools.  He  wished  to  know  the  reasons 
which  had  prevailed  in  adopting  the  lines  of  work  which  he 
found  to  be  followed  with  much  uniformity  throughout  the 
various  States.  He  began  to  show  the  results  of  his  in- 
quiries by  pointed  articles  in  educational  periodicals.  He 
made  himself  the  master  of  the  literature  of  the  subject  and 
put  in  his  word  of  criticism  and  his  plea  for  modification 
here  and  there. 

In  this  way  his  writings  from  the  beginning  were  very 
valuable  as  exciting  a  profounder  habit  of  thinking  with  re- 
gard to  educational  theory  and  practice  in  the  common 
schools.  While  he  was  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  the 
City  of  Cleveland  his  criticisms  were  written  mostly  for  per- 
iodicals. In  1888  he  became  professor  of  the  science  and  art 
of  teaching  in  the  University  of  Michigan  and  from  that 
time  on  his  writings  appeared  chiefly  in  book  form.  His 
treatises  on  studies  and  discipline  in  secondary  and  higher 
education,  including  such  topics  as  the  method  of  studying 
history,  the  method  of  teaching  language,  The  Art  of  Study, 
Horace  Mann,  were  books.  Shorter  articles  from  him  ap- 
peared in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Bureau  of  Education 
and  included  among  others  his  observations  on  education  in 
Italy,  the  Educational  History  of  the  old  Northwest  and 
the  Educational  Provisions  in  State  Constitutions. 
Every  year  during  his  useful  life  he  produced  a  harvest  of 
research  in  these  lines.  I  append  a  bibliography  which 
doubtless  needs  much  for  its  completion  but  is  as  full  as  I 
can  make  it  with  the  resources  at  my  command. 

Doctor  Hinsdale  first  impressed  persons  meeting  him 
for  the  first  time  as  a  man  of  unusual  character  and  ability 
and  as  possessing  high  ideals  of  educational  scholarship.  He 
commenced  writing  on  questions  relating  to  the  theory  of 
education  and  then  confined  himself  more  especially  to  edu- 
cational history  of  the  country.  His  contributions  on  this 
subject  are  of  permanent  value  and  future  investigators  will 
gladly  use  his  labors.  Professor  Hinsdale  was  one  of  those 
systematic  students  who  grow  rapidly  in  proficiency  in  their 
specialty  as  time  goes  on  and  his  later  and  latest  writing  may 


422  APPENDIX. 

be  justly  considered  his  best.  He  fell  in  what  should  have 
been  the  middle  period  of  his  usefulness  and  the  cause  of 
education  in  America  suffers  great  loss  in  his  death.  The 
consolation  left  for  his  co-laborers  is  that  he  worked  so  ear- 
nestly and  completed  so  much. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  DR.  HINSDALE. 

(From  Annual  Reports  of  Bureau  of  Education.) 

Report  i888-'89,  Vol.  II.  p.  642.    On  District  System. 
Report  i889-'90,  Vol.  II.  p.  1178.     Scholarship  in  Teach- 
ing. 

Report  i892-'93,  Vol.  II.  p.  13,428,  1493;  cited,  1261, 
1275 ;  edits  documents  illustrative  of  American  Educational 
History,  1225-1414;  his  topics  on  the  educational  history  of 
the  United  States  mentioned,  1226;  quoted  on  Education  in 
Wyoming  Valley,  1266. 

Report  i893-'94,  Vol.  II.  p.  725,  Burke  Aaron  Hins- 
dale, on  history  of  the  old  Northwest;  on  public  instruc- 
tion in  Italy,  325-33. 

Report  i896-'97,  Vol.  II.  p.  811.  On  Committee  on 
Rural  Schools. 

Report  i897-'98,  Vol.  II,  pp.  561-629.  Notes  on  foreign 
influence  on  Education  in  the  United  States. 

A  phase  of  college  education,  in  schools  and  studies,  pp. 
332-340.  A  plea  for  breadth.  School  Bulletin  (N.  Y.)  10. 
1883-84:  119.  American  Government,  National  and  State, 
pp.  viii-422-xxvi-8.  Ann  Arbor  1891.  8vo.  Same  new 
and  revised  edition,  p.  489.  Chicago,  New  York.  i2mo. 
American  Historical  Association.  Mag.  West.  Hist..  3, 
1885-86.  (Dec.  1885)  :  194-196.  An  investigation  of  the 
rural  schools.  Independent,  48  (Aug.  6,  1896)  :  9-10.  Art 
of  study,  a  manual  for  teachers  and  students  of  the  science 
and  the  art  of  teaching,  266  pp.  i2mo.  N.  Y.  1900.  Busi- 
ness side  of  City  School  systems.  Reprinted  from  "Studies 
in  Education."  New  York,  Chicago,  Boston.  .  i2mo.  Bound- 
ing the  original  United  States.  Mag.  West.  Hist.,  2,  1885 
(Sept.)  ;  401-423.  City  school  systems.  Supplementary 
report  at  Nat.  Ed.  Assoc.  1890.  Chicago  Herald,  July  8, 
1890;  Scrap-book  2:  114.     Culture  value  of  the  history  of 


APPENDIX.  423 

education,  Nat,  Ed,  Assoc.  1889:  210,  Diploma  system  of 
admission  to  the  University  of  Michigan,  Sch.  Rev.,  4, 
(May  1896)  :  301-307.  Discussion  of  entrance  requirements 
in  history  (in  report  of  the  committee  on  college  require- 
ments), Sch.  Rev.,  4  (June,  1896):  438-442,  Dogma  of 
formal  discipline  (Asbury  Park,  N.  J.,  July,  1894):  11. 
Economy  in  college  work,  Ind.  Sch.  Jour.,  34,  1889:  337. 
Education  in  Switzerland,  From  The  Teacher,  New  York, 
June,  1892.  Educational  influence  and  results.  Nat.  Ed. 
Assoc,  1887:  135.  Educational  problems  in  England.  From 
Intelligence,  Chicago,  Feb.  15,  1892.  S.  No.  132.  Exami- 
nations. Ed.  Jour.  Va.  15,1884:177-181.  Geography  and 
early  American  History.  Mag.  West.  Hist.,  3,  1885-86 
(Feb.,  1886)  :  433-436.  Health  in  the  public  schools.  Nat. 
Teacher,  vol.  5:  1-13;  Ohio  Ed.  Mo.  v.  16:  1-13.  Histor- 
ical Geography,  Mich.  Sch.  Mod'r  13,  1892:  170.  History 
teaching  in  schools  Nat.  Ed.  Assoc,  1895 :  360-370.  How 
to  study  and  teach  history,  with  particular  reference  to  the 
history  of  the  United  States,  pp.  346.  (5  copies).  Interna- 
tional Ed.  Series,  v.  xxv.  New  York,  1894.  .i2mo.  Horace 
Mann  and  the  common  school  revival  in  the  United  States, 
326  pp.,  i2mo.  N.  Y.,  1898.  Is  it  possible  and  desirable  to 
form  a  federation  of  colleges  and  universities  in  the  United 
States  similar  to  the  association  of  American  medical  col- 
leges? Nat.  Ed.  Assoc,  1898:  720-726:  discussion,  ^2^. 
Need  of  enhanced  material  support  for  the  rural  schools, 
Nat.  Ed.  Assoc,  1897:  113-121.  Horace  Mann  and  the 
common  school  revival  in  the  United  States,  pp.  326.  (Great 
educators,  ed.  by  Nicholas  Murray  Butler)  New  York, 
1898,, i2mo.  Industrial  education,  N.  E.  Jour.  Ed.,  v.  18. 
(1883)  :  211-213.  Industrial  education  and  public  school 
reforms.  In  Schools  and  studies,  pp.  178-199.  Jesus  as  a 
teacher  and  the  making  of  the  New  Testament,  pp.  330.  St. 
Louis,  1895.  8vo.  Making  of  courses  of  study,  Sch.  Rev., 
6,  Oct.  1898:  606-614.  .Mission  of  the  public  school.  In 
schools  and  studies,  pp.  150-177;  Ohio  Ed.  Monthly,  vol.  32, 
1883  :  326-343.  Moral  training  in  public  schools.  Ohio  Ed. 
Monthly,  34,  (1885)  :  291-298.  Ohio  school  history,  A  chap- 
ter of.  Ohio  Ed.  Mo.,  29,  (1888):  555.  Our  common 
school  education;  with  a  digression  on  the  college  course. 


424  APPENDIX. 

Pamph.,  pp.  2^.  Cleveland,  1877.  .8vo.  Over-pressure  in 
the  schools.  Ohio  Ed.  Monthly,  28  (1887)  :  586.  Oxford, 
the  revenues  of.  Independent,  Aug.  i,  1895,  File  630  (Hins- 
dale). Need  of  enhanced  material  support  for  the  rural 
schools.  Nat.  Ed.  Assoc,  1897:  113-121.  Pedagogical 
chairs  in  universities  and  colleges,  Discussian,  Proc.  Nat. 
Ed.  Assoc.  1889:  559-568.  Same,  pp.  11.  "Papers  on  school 
issues  of  the  day."  v.  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  1889.  .8vo.  Presi- 
dent Elliot  on  popular  education.  A  paper  read  before  the 
philosophical  society  and  the  political  science  association  of 
the  Univ.  of  Michigan,  and  before  the  principals'  Associa- 
tion of  the  City  of  Chicago.  Pub.  in  Intelligence,  Feb.  15, 
1893:  12.  .4mo.  (5  copies).  President  Elliot  on  public- 
school  problems.  Address  delivered  before  the  Connecticut 
State  teachers'  Assoc.  Nov.  1886,  pp.  26.  Cleveland,  1886.  . 
8vo.,  File  367.  President  Garfield  and  Education.  Educa- 
tion, Vol.  2,  No.  3,  pp.  217-233.  Qualifications  of  the  teach- 
er of  history.  Intelligence,  12,  1893:  34.  Report  of  com- 
mittee on  pedagogics. — The  laws  of  mental  congruence  and 
energy  applied  to  some  pedagogical  problems.  Nat.  Ed.  As- 
soc. 1895:  482-497:  discussion:  497-500.  Some  sociolog- 
ical factors  in  rural  education  in  the  United  States.  Nat.  Ed. 
Assoc,  Mo.  2,  (May,  1896)  :  2-13.  Schools  and  studies,  pp. 
362.  Boston,  1884  8vo.  Some  conditions  of  successful 
teaching.  Ind.  Sch.  Jour.,  34,  1889:  408.  Some  features  of 
the  old  South.  Mag.  West.  Hist.,  5,  1886-87,  (Nov.  1886)  : 
1-17.  Some  neglected  branches  of  education.  Ohio  Ed. 
Monthly,  22,  1881  :  33-37.  Studies  in  education,  pp.  384. 
Chicago  and  New  York.  .i2mo.  Study  of  education  at  the 
University  of  Michigan.  Educ.  Rev.,  6,  (Dec.  1893)  :  443. 
Study  of  education  in  American  colleges  and  universities. 
Educ.  Rev.,  19  (Feb.  1900)  :  105-120.  Suggestions  to  uni- 
versity students  preparing  to  teach,  pp.  8.  .i2mo.  File  155. 
Teachers'  academical  and  professional  preparation.  Nat. 
Ed.  Assoc,  1891 :  713.  Teachers'  institute,  the.  O.  Ed.  Mo. 
38,  1889:  241.  The  constant  in  education  (Methods  of 
teaching)  Proc.  &  addresses  of  the  Nat.  Ed.  Assoc  1884: 
144-152:  Education,  v.  5,  1884-85:  205-213.  Teaching  the 
language  arts,  speech,  reading,  composition,  pp.  205  (with 
bibliography).     International  education  series,  vol.  xxxiv. 


APPENDIX.  425 

New  York,  1896,  l2mo.  The  dogma  of  formal  discipline. 
Proc.  Nat.  Ed.  Assoc,  1894.  pp.  625-635.  Discussion :  635- 
637:  Ed.  Rev.  vol.  8,  1894:  128.  The  great  text-book  of  the 
middle  ages.  Ohio  Ed.  Monthly,  38,  1889;  i.  The  Old 
Northwest,  with  a  view  of  the  thirteen  colonics  as  consti- 
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The  public  vs.  the  public  school.  In  Sch.  and  Studies :  296- 
331.  The  teacher's  preparation.  Indep.,  43,  Aug.  6,  1891 : 
2-3.  Theoretical  and  critical  and  the  practical  courses  in 
teaching  given  in  the  University  of  Michigan.  Terms  de- 
fined and  relations  stated.  Notes  of  preliminary  lectures. 
pp.  12.  .8vo.  Topics  in  the  educational  history  of  the  Uni- 
ted States,  pp.  48.  (2  copies).  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  .8vo. 
Township  and  district  systems.  O.  Ed.  Mo.  38,  1889 :  289. 
Twenty  years  of  Pub.  Schs.  in  Rome.  From  the  Teacher, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  1891.  The  tripartite  division  of  education  Sch. 
Rev.,  4,  (Sept.,  1896)  :  512-522.  University  of  Michigan. 
i:  II.  Educa.  R.  11  (April,  1896)  356-368;  Educa.  R.  11 
(May  1896)  :  476-485.  Elmer  E.  Certification  of  college 
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Sch.  Rev.,  7  (June,  1899)  331-374.  History  and  civil  gov- 
ernment of  Ohio,  and  the  government  of  the  United  States 
by  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  pp.  368.  Chicago  and  New  York,  i2mo. 
(c.  r.  1896)  History  and  civil  government  of  Pennsylvania 
and  the  government  of  the  United  States  by  B.  A.  Hinsdale, 
PP-  365.  Chicago,  New  York,  Boston.  .  i2mo.  The  West- 
ern Literary  Institute  of  College  of  Professional  Teachers. 
Vol.  I,  Bureau  of  Education,  1898-9, 


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